Last week I was out to dinner with some friends who were in from out of town. There were several conversations going on at the same time, as often happens with my friends. Several of us are fairly loud and enjoy talking. So I was not involved in the conversation but I was following it to a point. I knew they were talking about making every day St. Patrick's Day...and my friend made the statement, "It only takes one person to start a trend!" She was encouraging someone else to start the trend of having St. Patrick's Day year round.
I started thinking about that statement. It only takes one person to start a trend. On the surface it sounded like a true statement...but something didn't seem right. I don't like blanket statements and this one seemed to be a blanket statement. I guess in a sense all trends have to start with one person, that much is true. The thing that I was thinking about is that if no one follows you then you would have a hard time starting a trend. There are a lot of people in the world who march to the beat of a different drummer. The reason we say that they "march to the beat of a different drummer" is because no one is following them! It does take one person to start a trend...but it doesn't "only" take one person. It takes a person who has the influence to have others follow them.
Almost everyone I know either feels they are a leader or wants to be a leader. The thing I have noticed as I have gone through life is that there are fewer leaders and a LOT more followers than I ever expected. It is amazing how easily a group can be persuaded into doing something as a group. Once you get people going in a certain direction they will almost always feel that it was their choice and they truly wanted to go that direction. If you had asked them to go that direction while they were alone or when no one else was doing it they would have never gone along with the idea. Take for example the ever changing world of fashion. Not runway fashion, but the "fashion" that you see when you walk through the mall or go out to dinner. The trends change, the look of what is socially acceptable changes and people go along with it. I am not saying that I set any trends when it comes to fashion or that I fight the system at all. I am simply showing how many followers we have in our society.
When I was young someone told me to "pick your battles." There are times when I am just fine with going along with the crowd. There are other times when I will assert myself and not follow what other people think is the thing to do. Being a leader does not mean that you always make every decision and everyone needs to follow you or get out of the way. There are people who make waves and push their own agenda, that doesn't make them a leader. If you want to know if you are a leader right now or not all you have to do is look behind you. If there are people who are following you or are willing to follow you then you are a leader. Leaders are not alone.
Jesus was the ultimate leader and even He submitted his will to the Father. Just a thought, you can lead and still submit to someone else. So it does only take one person to start a trend. The only catch is that the person must be a leader. I don't know why I thought about posting this right now. It is simply food for thought.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
I almost blogged last night...
I am not sure exactly why I didn't post what I wrote last night but I decided against it. Some things just are not meant to be shared in this kind of forum I guess.
So last night I helped a friend. He is the manager of a crew that cleans schools and he has had some trouble with his employees not showing up for work. He asked if anyone would help him (I am guessing it was a group text) and I replied that I would. I try to live by the standard that if someone asks for help "If I can, I should." It is something that my band teacher told me when I was in sixth grade and I have tried to always keep it in mind.
My friend was thankful that I was willing to help and give up my Friday night. I said it is what friends do...and then I realized I was the only friend who was there. I am not the nicest guy ever, in fact I would argue that I am not the nicest guy in my family. I know there are at least 4 other Johnson men that I would consider to be nicer than me (the 3 adult Jacks and Chris). This being said, I still try my best to do the right thing when given the chance. Last night I was given the chance.
I have been seeing a lot of the "25 random things..." posts on facebook lately. I posted one myself. It took me 5 minutes to write and I didn't even try to be witty with my answers. Now I wish I had written some other things into it but I don't think I will do it again. The reason I am bringing up the "25 random things..." is that in several of them lately I have noticed that they talk about "love" and how it will either solve everything or it is the answer to all of our problems. I couldn't agree more!
Since I started this post I have gone back and read a few of the "25 random things..." posts, there doesn't seem to be as much about love as I thought. Maybe it was just on my mind and the few times I saw it, that is what stuck out to me.
*side note: I have tried to finish this blog three times and I have erased the ending. Let's see if I can actually finish it*
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." I used to think this had to do with dying for a friend. I hadn't really ever looked at this verse in context, as sad as that may be, until last year. I grew up hearing that verse but I had never gone to study it out. In verse 12 it says "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." At this point Jesus had not died for anyone...but He had laid down His life for His friends.
I want to look at two examples of people who in my life I have seen lay down there life for someone else:
1. My brother Chris:
One of the reasons that I have such respect for my younger brother is that he dropped everything in his life and came back to Oklahoma for me. He told me that when I went to my second year at Rhema that he would be there to help me...and he was. He does this kind of thing on a consistant basis. He will lay down what he wants to do in order to help out someone else. Not because of what he will get in return, but because he is showing love to that person.
2. Chrissy Nicole Adams
Chrissy is someone who I met as a "friend of a friend." Most relationships that we build are through people we are around consistantly. For example: church, work, school, sports...you get the idea. Chrissy worked for a church I have never been to, she went to homeschool (so we never went to school together), she hasn't played any sports that I know of since we met...except that one time we all went out and through the frisbee, but I am not sure that counts as a sport played, and she lives in a town that is 45 minutes from where I live. In other words, we didn't have a lot of reason to really see each other. Truthfully she has been closer to my brother than she has been to me but I would consider her a good friend. She made this list because she has made a decision that not very many people would make. She is going to take a year out of her life and donate it to people who truly need it.
James 1:27 says, "A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." Well she is taking a year of her life and is going over to China to volunteer in an orphange. She is taking care of orphans for an entire year. This is one of the most selfless things I have ever seen or heard. She had a great job working at a church that is growing and yet she gave it up to go where she is needed most. It isn't about what she can get, it is about what she can give.
She challenges me to be a better person every day of my life. What can I do that will help someone when they truly need it? Take a look at what she is doing:
http://www.placemeinyourplan.blogspot.com/
So those are the two people who challenge me to be a better person, to give more, to not be concerned about "me" and to be more concerned with what needs I can help fill. I am not saying you need to change anything in your life. I am just asking you to take a look around. Help those who need help. Smile at the people who need someone to smile at them. Hold the door for that person who has their arms full. Do what you can do to fill the gaps that society is leaving in other peoples lives. Show some love and see how it goes. I think it will get better.
So last night I helped a friend. He is the manager of a crew that cleans schools and he has had some trouble with his employees not showing up for work. He asked if anyone would help him (I am guessing it was a group text) and I replied that I would. I try to live by the standard that if someone asks for help "If I can, I should." It is something that my band teacher told me when I was in sixth grade and I have tried to always keep it in mind.
My friend was thankful that I was willing to help and give up my Friday night. I said it is what friends do...and then I realized I was the only friend who was there. I am not the nicest guy ever, in fact I would argue that I am not the nicest guy in my family. I know there are at least 4 other Johnson men that I would consider to be nicer than me (the 3 adult Jacks and Chris). This being said, I still try my best to do the right thing when given the chance. Last night I was given the chance.
I have been seeing a lot of the "25 random things..." posts on facebook lately. I posted one myself. It took me 5 minutes to write and I didn't even try to be witty with my answers. Now I wish I had written some other things into it but I don't think I will do it again. The reason I am bringing up the "25 random things..." is that in several of them lately I have noticed that they talk about "love" and how it will either solve everything or it is the answer to all of our problems. I couldn't agree more!
Since I started this post I have gone back and read a few of the "25 random things..." posts, there doesn't seem to be as much about love as I thought. Maybe it was just on my mind and the few times I saw it, that is what stuck out to me.
*side note: I have tried to finish this blog three times and I have erased the ending. Let's see if I can actually finish it*
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." I used to think this had to do with dying for a friend. I hadn't really ever looked at this verse in context, as sad as that may be, until last year. I grew up hearing that verse but I had never gone to study it out. In verse 12 it says "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." At this point Jesus had not died for anyone...but He had laid down His life for His friends.
I want to look at two examples of people who in my life I have seen lay down there life for someone else:
1. My brother Chris:
One of the reasons that I have such respect for my younger brother is that he dropped everything in his life and came back to Oklahoma for me. He told me that when I went to my second year at Rhema that he would be there to help me...and he was. He does this kind of thing on a consistant basis. He will lay down what he wants to do in order to help out someone else. Not because of what he will get in return, but because he is showing love to that person.
2. Chrissy Nicole Adams
Chrissy is someone who I met as a "friend of a friend." Most relationships that we build are through people we are around consistantly. For example: church, work, school, sports...you get the idea. Chrissy worked for a church I have never been to, she went to homeschool (so we never went to school together), she hasn't played any sports that I know of since we met...except that one time we all went out and through the frisbee, but I am not sure that counts as a sport played, and she lives in a town that is 45 minutes from where I live. In other words, we didn't have a lot of reason to really see each other. Truthfully she has been closer to my brother than she has been to me but I would consider her a good friend. She made this list because she has made a decision that not very many people would make. She is going to take a year out of her life and donate it to people who truly need it.
James 1:27 says, "A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." Well she is taking a year of her life and is going over to China to volunteer in an orphange. She is taking care of orphans for an entire year. This is one of the most selfless things I have ever seen or heard. She had a great job working at a church that is growing and yet she gave it up to go where she is needed most. It isn't about what she can get, it is about what she can give.
She challenges me to be a better person every day of my life. What can I do that will help someone when they truly need it? Take a look at what she is doing:
http://www.placemeinyourplan.blogspot.com/
So those are the two people who challenge me to be a better person, to give more, to not be concerned about "me" and to be more concerned with what needs I can help fill. I am not saying you need to change anything in your life. I am just asking you to take a look around. Help those who need help. Smile at the people who need someone to smile at them. Hold the door for that person who has their arms full. Do what you can do to fill the gaps that society is leaving in other peoples lives. Show some love and see how it goes. I think it will get better.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Today...
Has been a bit rough so far...but I am trying to look at the big picture. None of what has happened today will matter in 20 years...with the exception of me making a friend cry because I was rude. I need to work on that and I already said I was sorry. She forgave me...but all in all that is the only thing that has any meaning long term that happened today. I am smiling now. I still think I need a nap!
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