A 3 Foot Perspective On Building People Up.

The rain had managed to sneak its way into the sand box just enough to make it perfect for building castles. I sat there working so hard to build up tall hills of sand with my daughter only to have her laugh at me when she stomped on them like King Kong. If I have to admit it, I became frustrated over time internally. Why couldn’t she just let us finish?

Then I stopped and thought there is a great lesson here. You put all of your effort into something time and time again, only to have others tear it down. This time I will wipe my hands off in time to take her smiling face in front of the beautiful sand hills we have made together. Determination!

Even with our children we internally struggle to sit back and enjoy the ride, but they serve as great reminders. After many attempts my daughter reaches over after stepping on the hill in laughter for the millionth time and says I will help you. We both were building separate hills because she is independent that way and wanted her own. This time instead of crushing both sand hills she scooped up the sand and placed it on top of my hill.

As adults we tend to lean towards being a means to an end type of person. We want the picture to share. We want the castle that is beautiful. We want our sand hill, or our accomplishment in sheep’s skin, to look good. But in the end she built me up seeing I needed help. It was not about her hill. It was not about her picture.

Children show us the true kindness we should show to others. Yes there will be times when people do things that tear you down over and over for no apparent reason and maybe God is trying to teach you something here but you have to find the lesson or maybe just maybe accept that it isn’t a means to an end it is just for fun.

Sometimes it will be your coworkers tearing down your idea. Your boss may tear down your work that you have put so much effort into. But why may they be doing this? Could they being trying to help you to see something else? Could they be trying to help create something even more beautiful or something done together as a team? Maybe just maybe you could take your eyes off your goal and think about someone else’s. Show them you want to help build them up.

3 BIG lessons learned from a 3 fit perspective:

1. It is okay to just enjoy the moment instead of focusing on the result.
2. Always remember to keep trying even when your hill has been torn down and think about why maybe it is has been.
3. Help others to build their hill, their castle, their dream.
   • They will teach you more about humility, kindness and truth than your own sand hill will.

What is your biggest sand hill that keeps being torn down? Is there a possible lesson you are not seeing?

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