I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
One of my mother’s best sayings is “You be the big one.” It’s a pretty good saying and it fits many situations. No matter what (or who) I was complaining about, her response was “You be the big one.” I would counter with “But it’s not fair. . .” or “But they are a grown-up…” or “It’s their fault!” and she would say “You be the big one.”
What she was actually teaching me was to be mature, to rise above, to be responsible for myself. I learned that I alone was accountable for my actions and my reactions. Anytime I talked about the other person, I would hear “Doesn’t matter. You be the big one.”
In my imagination, “Days of Distinction” would signal big, important, life-altering days. In truth, any day that we do our best, offer others grace, and shine for Jesus is a Day of Distinction.
So – every single day, right?
There is a current song on the radio that speaks to this idea. The title is “Be a Light.” Thomas Rhett sings it – let me share the lyrics with you.
In a time full of war, be peace
In a time full of doubt, just believe Yeah,
there ain’t that much difference between you and me
In a time full of war, be peace
In a world full of hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Don’t hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate be a light
In a place that needs change, make a difference
In a time full of noise, just listen
‘Cause life is but a breeze, better live it
In a place that needs a change, make a difference.
So, my dear friends, let’s all choose to listen to my Mom and be the Big Ones. Do our best, admit it when we mess up and fix it, offer grace to others, and shine for Jesus!
Written By: Karen Gossett