Once there was an old and very wise man. Every day he would sit outside a gas station in his rocking chair and wait to greet motorists as they passed through his small town.
On this day, his Granddaughter knelt down at the foot of his chair and slowly passed the time with him.
As they sat and watched the people come and go, a tall man who surely had to be a Tourist since they knew everyone in the town began looking around as if he were checking out the area for a place to live.
The stranger walked up and asked, “So what kind of town is this that we’re in?”
The older gentleman slowly turned to the man and replied,
“Well, what kind of town are you from?”
The tourist said, “In the town I’m from everyone is very critical of each other. The neighbours all gossip about everyone, and it’s a real negative place to live. I’m sure glad to be leaving. It is not a very cheerful place.”
The man in the chair looked at the stranger and said…
“You know, that’s just how this town is.”
An hour or so later a family that was also passing through stopped for gas.
The car slowly turned in and rolled to a stop in front of where the older gentleman and his Granddaughter were sitting.
The mother jumped out with two small children and asked where the restrooms were. The man in the chair pointed to a small, bent-up sign that was barely hanging by one nail on the side of the door.
The father stepped out of the car and also asked the man,
“Is this town a pretty good place to live?”
The man in the chair replied, “What about the town you are from? How is it?”
The father looked at him and said, “Well, in the town I’m from everyone is very close and always willing to lend their neighbour a helping hand.
There’s always a hello and thank you everywhere you go. I really hate to leave. I feel almost like we are leaving family.”
The older gentleman turned to the father and gave him a warm smile.
“You know, that’s a lot like this small town”. Then the family returned to the car, said their thank yous, waved goodbye and drove away.
After the family was in the distance, the Granddaughter looked up at her Grandfather and asked, “Grandpa, how come when the first man came into our town you told him it was a terrible place to live and when the family came in to town you told them it was a wonderful place to live?”
The Grandfather lovingly looked down at his Granddaughter’s wondering blue eyes and said,
“No matter where you move, you take your own attitude with you and that’s what makes it terrible or wonderful.”
The same with people, if we have a negitive attitude about ourselves we will reflect that onto others, if our thoughts are Loving to others it reflects a healthy self worth, it really is all about do unto others as we would like them to do for us but we do it first.
Even if people don’t care or respond to us, if our attitude is…
“What I can give?” not “What I can get?” then we will have Joy.
So we don’t need to feel discouraged or give up doing good, because even if others don’t appreciate our kindness, in time many will respond because Love brings Love and this is what pleases the Lord.
But do not forget to do good and to share with others for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Hebrews 13:16 -(K. J.V & N. I .V)
Freedomborn 
The same can be said of Churches. Sometimes it seems as though people moving from one Church to another bring with them all the baggage they should have abandoned on the way – or better yet, solved it where they were.
Mr Anon says “Attitude determines altitude” and it is so true. We cannot rise above a bad attitude.
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Hi Angela, so True if we go to a Church with the wrong attitude we will be negative but we can go with the right one and still be hurt, it takes two to resolve problems and if only one wants to, nothing will be resolved, agreeing to disagree never works it ends up causing division, only seeking Jesus for resolution will give us the victory. He tells us to make every thought captive to Him, this includes our attitude, only He can change it by empowering us to put to death our flesh nature as we choose to walk in Love, meaning The fruit of The Spirit.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Colossians 3:4-6 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
Christian Love
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For the most part I LOVE the town I live in. When I find something I do not like, I try to live by example the change I would like to see in it. You are so right. Change begins with us and our attitudes on how we see a situation. Thank you Anne!
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Hi Bob your Testimony and actions speak for themselves, you are indeed a very giving and Loving man, I don’t know Wendy as well as I know you but no doubt she is also a caring person.
Do I like where I live, No but I have loved everywhere else I have lived, I do love my home it is a gift from God and has everything I need. There are very abusive and violent people in my street some are on Drugs or have drinking problems, I have had to get the Police a few times but there are also people like me so I try to focus on them although we have tried to help the others when their sober or not on drugs, which they appreciate but not for long.
There are no other Christians in this whole Neighbourhood or area, Ron tries to help when he is here but advises when he is not just to call the Police for help, I haven’t wanted to do this but it has been needed.
Thank you for sharing Bob – Christian Love
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I love being marooned, out in the country, on an airport! Not sure what that says about me, except I’m blessed with meeting kind new people — often. 🙂
God Bless You!
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Hi Dei as I shared before you are a very Loving and accepting person but honest in your focus, if you don’t agree you don’t just say you do for aprovel and Jesus and Paul etc were the same as the Scriptures show us.
I don’t think there is one person I dislike, to do so would mean I think I’m better then them but that does not mean I accept their wrong actions or thinking and on the Blog their teaching that is in error, to do so is not Loving, but it is not just what I think I always have Scripture as confirmation if I correct, as I’m sure you do too.
Christian Love Anne
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I love stories that make me think. Truer words….Proverbs 25:7 As a man thinketh so is he.
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Thank you Spirit Sisters for sharing and very True, what we think in our heart we do in our actions. I appreciate your input.
Christian Love Anne.
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Yes so true if you move from a place because of trouble ,you generally bring it with you ,so staying and working it through is a much better option, Thanks Anne
Ron
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Yes Love so True, running away from our problems never solves them, as Christians God tells us to resolve our conflicts and disagreements, we are also not to agree to disagree because it never works, in the end it causes division as we can see in the Churches, this is something you always majored on when you were Preaching because as you shared from the Scriptures, God tells us to bring our differences to Him and He will show who is in error.
Christian Love Anne.
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Thanks so true
Ron
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