Boys will be boys

Tracy and Alex have been gone since Thursday, so on Friday I told Isaac he could have a friend stay over.  Oh the joys of listening to and witnessing two boys play.  If they are involved in a competition then they argue over every little thing, and if they are trying to decide what to do next each one is desperately trying to convince the other that their idea is the most fun.  Luckily it didn't come to fistacuffs, and I reminded Isaac that his friend was the guest in our house, which I'm not sure registered.  I was reminded of the times I played with my best friend as I was growing up.  We would almost kill each other over a game of 1 on 1 basketball.  But, as with most boys, and with Isaac and his buddy, when we were done playing it was all in the past and we were bust buds again.  I had to keep reminding myself of my past growing up to keep myself from barging into the room and telling them both to knock it off and get along! 
As I pondered my blog for the week I wondered how often God wants to barge into our world, or our rooms, and just scream at us to get along.  I would assume almost every minute of every day!  I'm not sure why God doesn't make us all get along.  I'm sure the answer to that question is about as easy to answer as to why God allows bad things to happen at all.  But we don't do a good job of getting along as a human race do we?  People starve as we eat pretty much when and what we want.  People go without basic needs for shelter and water while we redecorate our homes and by designer water in stores.  I suppose I could go on but I'm depressing myself.  If we don't like looking at the macro scale of human relations we can look at the micro scale.  Think how easy it is to put someone down, gossip about someone, and feel angry towards someone that we know.  There have been times when all of us have acted like little children when we didn't get our way and probably threw the same tantrums.  Why is it we find it easy to tear down instead of build up?  Why do we insist on our own way and argue like crazy whenever we feel like maybe we didn't get exactly what we think we deserve or earned?  In essence we never stop being kids who want their own way...especially when it comes to how we think we want our lives to go.
This Lenten season I have a challenge for you.  I don't want you to give something up...I want you to take something on.  Think of a friend...think of a family member...think of an enemy...someone you've not been close with for whatever reason and reach out to them.  Say you're wrong if you made a mistake.  Forgive them if they've wronged you.  Reach out to someone who needs to hear from you.  Make an effort to put someone else first for a change and see how rewarding and freeing it can be for you.  So...who's it gonna be?