Jake's Thought of the Week

Each Monday I will be posting Jake's Thought of the Week that he sends out to all the parents in his All Iowa Attack program. Here is his thought for this week (he 'stole' my poem from one of my posts as part of it!)

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK:
I'd rather see a sermon, than hear one any day.
I'd rather one would walk with me - than merely show the way.
The eye's a better pupil - more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear.
And the best of all the people are the ones who live their creed,
For to see the good in action is what everybody needs.
I can soon learn how to do it if you'll let me see it done.
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
The lectures you deliver may be very wise and true-
But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.
For I may misunderstand you, and the high advice you give.
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.
Poem By: Edgar Guest

Last week my wife came across this poem and posted it on her blog that she does at http://team-sullivan.blogspot.com/ for our family and friends. The second she posted it she called me asking if I had looked at her blog yet that day and as most days my answer was "Not yet honey!” She told me that I might want to take a look as I would probably enjoy what she posted.

Well that was on Tuesday and ever since that day I have not been able to stop thinking about it and how true it is. I so often analyze my words and how to communicate something to so many people in the program in order to get the best out of them each week.

Then it hit me that maybe the words are not nearly as important as the way we live life and the demonstration we provide to all those that are watching. So, as I often do I started thinking back on the people that were most influential on my life and to my astonishment I do not remember what many of them said, but I could remember in vivid detail how they lived, how they loved, how the cared, and how they taught me not by what they said but by what they did.
As I continued to ponder how I live my life and the demonstration that I have the opportunity to give each day, I quickly became overwhelmed at how hard it is each day to walk a path that is unique, and not fall prey to the world's standards of good enough!! Then as God so often does he provided me comfort letting me know that I would never be able to do it alone but would only be able to accomplish his purposes by the strength that HE provides.

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed. 2 Timothy 4:17

GO ATTACK!
JAKE