Mondays Musings on Tuesday

People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy..." ~Bruce Wayne

TCC is challenging us to comment about the above quote on her "Monday Musings". First of all, are we talking Bruce Wayne as in Batman? If so, that's cool. I love super heroes.

While I've pondered this and chewed on this for awhile (an entire 6.23 minutes) I wondered what has drawn me out of apathy. What has shaken the indifference from my soul....or maybe I should ask WHO has shaken the indifference off of me? And, then I wondered if there are certain things I should be MORE apathetic about like whether or not we put a pool in our back yard one day or the new pair of shoes I thought were so cute at Kohls. Maybe I spend too much time thinking about things that won't mean a rip in eternity?

But, that's not the answer I think TCC is looking for. Rather, what dramatic examples have shaken the apathy off of me? Here is a list off the top of my head:

• Abused, neglected children....watch any episode of COPS and you'll know what I mean. It makes me try to reach out to children in the schools and at church (and, encourage my kids to do the same) that society has labeled worthless and discarded.
  
• Owning several restaurants and dealing with teenage employees can create apathy, until you hold a 16-year old girl in your arms while she weeps because her mom kicked her out of the house for the 4th time.
• Our pastor. He simply inspires me. He has made prayer and kindness the norm whether you're pumping gas or eating lunch at Friendly's. He makes Jesus real and I try to follow that example. Trust me when I say that was a "dramatic concept" for me when he suggested praying for the cashier at the grocery store or a server in a restaurant. But, now our entire family does that when we feel prompted by the Holy Spirit. And, many times I see the pain and fear subside when someone's life has changed as a result of them knowing someone cares and Jesus loves them.

I'm not sure if I answered all the questions. Not having grown up in the church (unless you count being Catholic) I was extremely cynical and apathetic except to animals and myself. But, I think apathy is a symptom of someone who has given up. On others. On themselves. On God. It is almost like a self preservation technique, to shut down and go numb.

My prayer is that I can become the "dramatic example that shakes people out of apathy". We all know I've got the "dramatic" part down!