Mine! Mine! Mine!

This is a picture I took last weekend of a real seagull on the Seattle waterfront. I know it looks fake but it almost bit Lisa's finger.

Wasn't it in 'Finding Nemo' that the seagulls hollered 'Mine!' all the time? (I didn't check my sources before writing this post.) I guess I can relate to those birds more than I'd like to admit. Well, except for the impossibly skinny legs in relation to their bodies.

I want to be more generous and giving. Even when I don't have an abundance of money, I certainly have an abundance of material wealth, a lot of free time and a ton of grace and love I've received that I can give away. I'm praying that God will stir in me some more of His compassion for people. I can be terribly judgmental, forgetting how much God has forgiven me for.

I'm doing some temp work in a large, high-stress office full of busy and important people. The women wear high heels and balance day care and board meetings. The men talk for hours on conference calls and sometimes argue loudly about who's put in more time on the project. I see them look nervously around the corners of their offices to see if anyone heard their conversation with a co-worker and rub their eyes after a long day.

Instead of looking at the outer shell, I'm asking God to help me see these men and women with His eyes. There's probably someone there who's feeling a lot less significant than they appear. Someone with a loved one who is sick. Someone worried about their job security. Someone who could really use an encouraging word. That could be me!

I could get out of my little 'temp secretary' shell and be a light in that place! Whether it's the office, the gas station or the grocery store, my sphere of influence can be a lot bigger if I let the Holy Spirit nudge me to reach out. I'm sick of thinking about what's 'mine' anyway. And that's a good thing!