Trickle down effect...

There is just one person in this world that you can change.  You know who that person is?  For those that said, yourself, bravo!  That is correct.  No matter how much you want to change those that you love, you simply can't.  Sometimes we make ourselves believe that we have indeed accomplished the miracle of changing someone, but when you start believing that please remind yourself, that you may have had an influence, however the change you see is their own efforts.  And if you ever argue no, it's not them it is "I", then just wait a while; as that person will revert back to their original self eventually.  I by no means am trying to be negative in this blog.  I am simply sharing something we all deal with...

What does change have to do with the subject of today's blog?  Well since change can only occur within ourselves, therefore change in society can only occur with one person at a time becoming a better person.  Remember my blog where I said, be the change you want to see in the world.  I want to dig a bit deeper into that today.  Let me present you all with a scenario that I have a feeling many would be able to relate to in one way or another:

  A minor argument occurs over unclean dishes between two people living in the same household.  One says, I did rinse the bowl before putting it in the dishwasher, while the other tries to show how the bowl still has stains on it, indicating that it was not rinsed properly.  This minor argument escalates as one or both of the parties get frustrated with the other because they aren't conceding to their point of view.  Perhaps voices are raised, unfortunate things are said about prior similar incidents, and one if not both parties recede to their corners of the house to cool off (mostly to not be around the other person).  Not much is said to each other after that for the rest of the night.  Morning comes, and the two still haven't exchanged words.  One or both get ready and go to work, still failing to resolve the issue from the previous night.
  At work things are going well.  Everything moving along smoothly and the incident over the dishes is out of sight and out of mind, right?  It is until you go to heat up your lunch and find the microwave dirty, and it all comes rushing back and spills over into work.  You get extremely upset at whoever last used the microwave and didn't wipe it down.  Your voice escalates and you're saying that you simply can't catch a break.  How things are dirty at home and at work too...and everyone is looking at you and wondering what's going on.  After some time you realize what you are doing and leave the cafeteria and go to your office to hide out.  

So what just happened here?  Anyone want to take a guess?  This my friends is referred to as the trickle down effect.  Well at least one translation of the phrase.  Simply put, one thing leads to another to another, trickling all the way down until one person explodes in the most inopportune time and place.
Solution(s)?  There are a few actually:

1. Letting things go and moving on
2. Forgiving the other for their mistake.  We are all human and we all mess up
3. Picking your battles wisely

Again, why is this important?  Think about it.  If we hold on to such trivial arguments and have them stored away in our memory bank for later use, and certainly bring it up in a similar argument saying, '...you did this just last month...when will you learn?'  Then how will you ever be able to live the lives that are supposed to be examples for others?  How are you possibly going to be the change you want to see in the world?  It is so very easy to judge the people who are committing such heinous crimes as murder, rape, abuse and torture because they must just be out of their mind.  Do you really think you are in your right mind when you start going off at work about a dirty microwave??  It all stems from somewhere...something small.  So many conclusions can be drawn about criminals, their behaviors, and why it is they do what they do.  You probably have heard them as well.  Analysts saying, '...that guy who raped all these older women was abused as a child and it took a hold over his mind...' or, '...well this guy's home was burnt down by terrorists when he was a child, so he decided to take revenge and burn down the whole village...' perhaps, '...this kid was bullied at school so we can see why he brought a gun to school to shoot so many other kids...'  Such examples of justifying bad behavior are everywhere.

But it is not OK!  Any bad behavior should not be justified.  Since bad behavior stems from something that triggers old memories (most of the time, but not always), let's please keep the following in mind:

"Do not remember the former things, 

Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing, 

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert.

ISAIAH 43:18-19

or     

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God..."

PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14

or

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath"

EPHESIANS 4:26

and

"If you forgive men their trespass, your God will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespass, neither will God forgive your trespasses."

MATTHEW 6:14-15

People:  You do not have to be a believer in God to understand that we are the solution to the world's problems!  We have to amend our own ways, our thoughts, our anger, our resentments, our fears and our pride.  If you aren't getting your way in an argument, ask yourself will this be worth it tomorrow?  More often then not the answer is no.  So why not end it right then and there.  Is it because your pride will be hurt?  Would you rather be left with your pride or the people you care and cherish?  Build stronger and healthier relationships with each other.  Be God's representatives in this world of ours.  Show those bitter people causing such turmoils that there is still humanity left in this world.  There is still love and forgiveness left on our earth.  Let them see us and question their own morals and values.  Let them see the word of the true God through us!  Let's definitely stop the trickle down effect...please.  

To reiterate, it all starts from within us.  So evaluate yourselves and then decide what is important and what is not worth hurting others over.  Trust God to do the rest, as He surely will transform you and make you anew.  That is His promise to us, if only we give our lives to Him.  May He work within us all and make us all the people He knows we can be.  Amen.