Pastor's Note

SHARING THE ROAD
September 30th, 2007

I was driving on a nearby road, one often used by cyclists, when I saw a simple sign that read, ‘SHARE THE ROAD.’ I think it was a reminder for motorists to be aware of and then give room to those on bicycles.
The sign also reminded me of the often-stated lesson from home when I was a kid: “Be sure to share.” We are taught to share with brothers and sisters. It is also a lesson spoken over and over again in pre-school and kindergarten. Sadly, it is sometimes never learned, or, if learned, forgotten as people get older.
Sharing roadways, sharing food, sharing our natural resources, or sharing our time – these are all challenging. Yet sharing brings with it a double blessing.
First of all, it blesses the one who needs what is being shared. Anyone who has ever shared his or her time with a lonely person in a nursing home knows what a blessing that sharing has brought the other person. Sharing our food with someone who would otherwise go hungry brings obvious joy and relief.
But there is another blessing. The sharer, the one who chooses not to be possessive, is also blessed. This person is enriched by the act of giving up something. The willingness to share actually helps make people more human, and therefore, more complete.
This week, we all need to share the road…and many other things. May God’s blessings be with you as your travel life’s roadways!