This is Too Good Not to Share
When I leave my house, there are two things I automatically do without thinking. I put on my seat belt, and I let the garage door down (after I’ve pulled out, of course). There have been a few occasions when, a minute later, I’ve asked myself, “Did I close the garage?” I’ve never questioned the seat belt. Clicking that belt in place is so automatic. In fact, if I’m not wearing my seat belt, I felt naked.
That was not the case forty years ago. When it became state law in Texas to wear a seat belt, I had to train myself to wear it. I often forgot. It felt cumbersome. But I was a dutiful, law-abiding citizen, and I soon developed a new habit.
That habit came in handy a few years ago when a too-close encounter with another car flipped my Ford Escape on its side. I walked away. Correction: I climbed out the window and then walked away.
I can thank Nils Bohlin for that. The man who helped develop airplane ejector seats gave us the three-point seatbelt. (An ejector seat in my Ford Escape would’ve been really cool, but I’m confident the seat belt was safer.)
Volvo has been known as making the safest cars, and that reputation hearkens back to the 1950s when Volvo hired Nils Bohlin away from Saab Aviation. His focus was on safety, and he was determined to create something that could absorb force and yet be easy enough for a child to buckle. In 1959, he and Volvo were rewarded the patent for the seat belt that is pretty much the same design today.
But here’s the beauty of the story. Volvo shared the patent with other car makers. While it still took years for all automakers to make seatbelts standard equipment, Volvo determined safety was too important not to share. And they were right. Estimates are that a million lives have been saved because of seat belts, and countless lives have been saved from injury. Seatbelts reduce the threat of injury or death by 50 percent.
Now if we could just get people off their cell phones.
Some things are too important not to share. We’re in the Christmas season, a time of the year when we naturally think about giving and sharing, but can we focus on some things to share that are a step beyond another sweater or gift card?
Share the gift of forgiveness. Many of us will be with family during the Christmas season. And for too many families, whether that time together is a day or a week, that time together is stressful. Issues from the past come back to life, and hurtful feelings are resurrected. In those moments, the hardest gift to give may be the most needed: forgiveness. I’m not asking you to deny the hurt or what happened, but the words, “I forgive,” can do wonders. And this may be a gift you give to yourself. “I’m going to forgive, let go of the matter, and move on. I’m not going to let the past determine who I am. I forgive.”
Share the gift of time. Loneliness is an acknowledged epidemic in this country. It’s not COVID’s fault, but the pandemic certainly exacerbated the growing problem of loneliness. So, I’m asking you to set the remote down. You can binge watch another day, but today take the time to visit with someone. (Texting doesn’t count.) Meet them for lunch. Make the phone call. Step outside your comfort zone. Don’t rush the conversation. Put your phone down and give them your undivided attention.
While you’re sharing the gift of your time, you can easily tack this next one on.
Share the gift of a listening ear. Too many times, our conversations are about us. It’s quite human for us to want to talk about ourselves, but give them the gift of letting them talk about themselves. Ask questions. Get to know them. With a listening ear, you can help someone feel valued.
I won’t belabor this point because I recently wrote about the importance of listening to others. But I can’t stress enough how valuable a gift it is to someone just to listen. Let me say this in a way that would get me corrected by my mother: Shut up. Ask a question, shut up, and let them talk.
Share the gift of Jesus. If you’re going to talk, don’t talk about yourself; talk about Jesus! Is there a greater story to tell?
“I did not hide your righteousness in my heart; I spoke about your faithfulness and salvation; I did not conceal your constant love and truth from the great assembly” (Ps. 40:10).
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).
May God bless as you give to others. And buckle up.
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Banner photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash
