Daughters of the King[Moved To Instagram]

Routine, Not Tradition

If you didn't know, on Feburary 14th, 2018, there was a school shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. 17 people were killed. 15 people were injured. This event caused a movement to spark and now all over the US, people, especially teens my age, are calling and fighting for gun control and better mental health, too. I'm all for gun control and I do think it will keep the school shootings under control.

Anyway, that Sunday, I was watching a church live stream, the message was about serving people and how it connects us and brings us closer to God.

That when I came to a conclusion, if we want people to have better mental health, we need to do our part and get out of our circle of comfort and reach out to people that filled with sadness or hate. We need to show them that life is not worth living in hatred or fear or sadness. No amount of laws, money, or research is going to help if we don't reach out them ourselves.

There this commercial that comes on for the Food bank in my state that shows how during the holidays, people are all for helping other people who are homeless. But during the rest of year, barely anybody comes.

This is not okay. Helping people during the holidays is fine, but only during the holidays, is when it becomes a problem. And I feel many people are doing out of obligation. I feel like people often have this, "It's the holidays and you have to do something for someone or else you're not a good person" mentality.

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6 ESV

We need to start serving people, not just during the holidays, but also throughout the year. Start serving other people, start thinking of other people, start listening to others and stop attacking them, in real life and online. You can start serving today by picking up trash, or saying hi to a stranger, or inviting someone new onto your group of friends.

And make it a routine, not a tradition. A tradition is usually a once-a-year thing, but a routine is everyday or every week. Serving, like a routine, is a lifestyle. Serve without expecting anything back. To be first is to be last. Remember, giving is better than receiving.