Are You Worth Imitating?


Today when I was on the rowing machine at the gym in hopes of strengthening my legs in case I decide to go out and take a few turns on the slopes and trying to get rid of the flabbiness on my upper arms, I noticed a young tyke about 5 years old. As he and his father walked past me rowing away, the young boy began laughing. 

Did he think I was funny? Did I row to slow? Was my form amusing? I found out the reason for his laughter a few minutes later when I saw the little guy on the rowing machine himself. He thought it looked like fun and he wanted to imitate what he had seen me doing. 

Often times we fail to realize that what others see us doing affects their choices. A couple of incidents that I recall reinforce this thought. Many years ago my husband and I went to a movie as we often do on Friday evenings. As we were walking into the theatre a friend from Bible study was walking out. She said, “I won’t tell anyone I saw you here if you won’t tell that you saw me.” I didn’t understand her statement until I was in the movie and realized that it was not something I should be watching. I hoped no one else had seen me there and began being much more cautious about what I went to see. 

My mother tells the story about being at a convention with my dad many years ago when the group went into a bar, which made my mother very uncomfortable. The feeling escalated when she saw a young girl from her church. And was even worse when the girl’s mother informed her that her daughter had told her about the incident, saying, “I was wondering if I was making the right choice by being in the bar, until I saw Miss Sadie and I figured that if she was there it must be all right.” My mother was devastated. She didn’t want to lead anyone astray with her actions. 

The Bible tells us that we should not imitate the ways of the detestable people who are not following God’s ways. It also says that we should imitate the leaders of the faith and the good that they do.

I want to be someone who is worthy of imitating, not just on the rowing machine, but in life. How about you?

3 John 1:11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

Comments

NNM said…
Olga, not only are you an example to be imitated but you are inspirational as well.
February 6, 2012 at 5:45 AM
NNM said…
Olga, not only are you an example to be imitated but you are inspirational as well.
February 6, 2012 at 5:45 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bavarian Cream Pie

Image
2 eggs 1/8 t salt 3/4 c scalded milk 1 c whipping cream 1 T gelatin 1/4 c cold water 1/2 c sugar 1 t vanilla Chocolate crumb crust Beat sugar and egg yolks. Then add milk and scald until it sticks to the spoon, stirring constantly. Let gelatin and cold water soak until dissolved, then add to milk and let cool. Whip cream and egg whites separately and then mix together. Mix cream and egg mixture to the milk that has been cooled. Add vanilla to mixture. When this begins to congeal, pour into chocolate crumb crust. Put into refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle crushed crumbs over the top before serving. www.hearthope.org
Read more

Mount of the Holy Cross

Image
For years people have enjoyed the awe of Mount of the Holy Cross which is a 14,000 foot mountain in the Sawatch Range of Colorado. It is named for the distinctive snow-filled cross at the top of the mountain and was proclaimed a national monument by Herbert Hoover in 1929. Painters have painted it; photographers have photographed it and hikers have hiked it, because of its special beauty. When my children were young and visiting the area, we would take the gondola up the mountain to the observation deck at Eagle’s Nest for the perfect view of the majestic Mount of the Holy Cross.  So when my grandchildren were visiting this summer, it seemed natural to take them to the same spot for old times’ sake.  The mountain had not changed and the view was still inspiring, but something was terribly wrong. The name on the sign at Eagle’s Nest had been changed. It was no longer labeled Mount of the Holy Cross, but instead has been replaced with the designation Cross of Snow. Why would that be do
Read more

My Latest Award!

Image
This is my niece Allison Bullock who wins triathlons! I won an award today, but before you go getting all excited for me or want to see how you can win one too, you might want to read more. This honor might not be one you want to receive, because you see it is not an accolade that I really want either.  I went for my annual mammogram this morning and while there the doctor found some suspicious areas and wanted to have an ultrasound performed. While laying on the sterile bed, with my pretty pink robe opened and covered with goo used for the transducer, the hand-held device that sends out the waves which produce the picture, the technician declared that I had won the prize for the most cysts she had ever seen in a patient. How do you like that one! I guess the good part is that cysts are not usually dangerous, but still…. I have received other awards in my life that are much more prestigious than the one today, but there is a future award that I hope to obtain that will be more
Read more