Three Kinds of Different

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, five, and Ryan, three. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus was sitting here, He would say, ‘let my brother have the first pancake; I can wait.”‘ Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”

Here is a cute story that we all can relate to with each of the three characters. First, a mother is trying to teach her two young boys both a moral and spiritual lesson. This is probably not the first time these boys have argued over such things. Her motives are pure. The opportunity is at hand, and the teaching moment begins.

Kevin, the older brother is the ringleader of this gang. His only desire is to get the first pancake. Kevin is impatient, and listens to his mother’s narrative from the perspective of his stomach and not his heart. Therefore, he tries the art of trickery on his younger brother Ryan, the unsuspecting victim.

Although Ryan’s answer is unknown, I suspect little Ryan chose to be Jesus and waited. We all are an impatient people. We want things now and waiting is not an option! Jesus calls us to be different (special, unusual). Which kind of different are you? Are you one who tries to find a spiritual lesson in everyday life and then apply it? Do you find yourself a little impatient and the first to point it out in others, but fail to practice it in your own life? Maybe you are like Ryan, and want to be like Jesus? I think if we are honest, we are all a little of all three!

As Christians, being different should be the norm. God wants us to stand out in the world. How do we expect our light to shine if we are busy hiding it. Being different gets attention from others, and the attention it brings may change a life forever. 🙂

~Danny    May 8, 2014