Photo: Recently, we visited New Mexico and went skiing. This was our view from the backyard of the house we rented. Taken March 2016.
With Easter weekend upon us, I thought that humility and kindness is the best message that I could send this weekend. Jesus Christ our Savior came from humble roots. He was a carpenter and humbly took his crucification without fighting back. He knew what his life was for and he humbly lived out his father's wishes. Jesus was also kind. He used miracles to help people many times and he was kind to the people who so rudely crucified him. He was human in death, but showed us how to live and act as a human with true humility and kindness as only a God could do.
Jesus taught us a great message years ago and still his message resonates to many people across many countries. Recently, I have found a song that portrays this message so well, and I want to talk about a few of the verses in this song. The song is "Humble and Kind" sung by Tim McGraw. This song is not fast and upbeat, but this song sends a great message to us all. I will quote parts of the song below and then comment on them.
““Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won’t be wasted time
Always stay humble and kind””
This verse hits me to the core, because I know how important it is to spend time with your family. Since I live so far away from them, the opportunities to visit are far and few between. Therefore, I cherish the times that we have together. But this also reminds me of the time before my great grandmother passed away. She lived into her 100s and I cherished every visit that I had with her. She embodied humbleness and kindness. She didn't understand why the Lord kept her on the earth for so long, but after her death, I learned that it was to help guide people who may have still needed guidance. The summer before my grandfather passed away, we took a family trip to Minnesota and went fishing. My family will tell you how important it was to share that time with my grandfather. It was never wasted time, because you never know how much time you have with anyone. Life is short and you can never anticipate how long someone will live. So cherish the time that you spend with your family.
““Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don’t steal, don’t cheat, and don’t lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind.””
This chorus is very biblical. Three of the ten commandments are listed above, and from my experiences lying, stealing and cheating are no ways to get a head. This is how you succeed financially. By doing things the right way. You work hard and save your money. You don't steal or cheat anyone. Don't lie about things and show people that you care about them. That's how you will become successful. As for climbing mountains, it refers to the fact that we all have good things to do. We all have things to accomplish. But when you accomplish these things, make sure to thank the Lord and always remain humble. When we let our successes get to us, that's when we begin to fail. The only way to success is to remain humble.
““When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind””
This verse talks about pridefulness. Pridefulness is the opposite of humbleness. So, it's funny that both words are placed into this song, but it reminds me of aspects of my life. Every time that I become too prideful, the Lord always brings me back down to earth and reminds that he helps accomplish things. This happened with my basketball team. My team was on a four game winning streak and I was overconfident and believed that my team couldn't be beat. My overconfidence actually hurt my team and we lost a game by 15 points. I was humbled that night. The Lord reminded me that you need to work for things and not expect things. This is the same with your jobs, your money and your relationships. You have to be diligent and you can't expect something. You have to earn it.
““Don’t expect a free ride from no one
Don’t hold a grudge or a chip and here’s why
Bitterness keeps you from flyin’
Always stay humble and kind.””
I'm going to get a little political here, but the first line that I quoted above shows us why we can't expect people to just give us everything. We have to earn things in this life and nothing will be handed to us. Too many people in this country want the government to hand them stuff. That makes you a slave of the government. I don't want to be a slave of the government. I want to be my own person. So, that is why I want to earn my own money for myself.
The next two lines are big in my family. On my side of the family, grudges can be problem. And I know that sometimes grudges are held out of love, but these grudges keep you from flying. When you hold a grudge, you are hurting yourself. You are letting yourself get angry instead of forgiving and forgetting. I used to have and anger problem, where I would let things build up and then I would explode. About six years ago, I realized that the grudges and anger were holding me back. Instead of being angry, I went to the Lord and he has helped me forgive and forget. I am much happier today, once I realized that it was better to just let things go and not worry so much about everything. The only person I can control is myself and I have to allow people to control themselves. It's their life, I can't control it.
““Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
’I love you’ ain’t no pick up line so
Always stay humble and kind””
These lines in the song are very much the opposite of the American culture today. As many people find it perfectly fine to sleep around. Once again, it's your life, I can't tell you how to live it. But I can tell you my beliefs. I believe that it's best to wait for marriage.
““When it’s hot, eat a root beer popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind
Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you’re goin
Don’t forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind.””
These lines are the ending of the song and it sends the message of not forgetting to live your life. Enjoy the time that the Lord gives you on this Earth. It's precious time. I enjoy everyday that the Lord gives me. I enjoy teaching my students. Every day is different and I learn so much from them also. But it also sends the message that we should help the people that need help. This is so true. Don't be stringent with your money that you won't give it away. As I mentioned earlier, the Lord will pay you back even greater. You can also help with your time. There is no greater feeling that helping someone out. You stay humble and kind by realizing what this life is about. When you get caught in your work, caught in your money or even caught in trivial things, that's when you can lose sight of what life is about.
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You can watch the music video for Humble and Kind below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
