"Do Gooder"

When I decided to give my life to Christ, my late wife had not made that choice at first and did not see my change in a positive way in the beginning.  She called me a "Do Gooder" and suggested that I was just trying to make her look bad.

Actually, I was just trying to muddle through, doing the best I knew how as I was learning and growing in Christ.  Our friends had a similar reaction as I stopped getting drunk with them, staying up all night partying and the like.  They began to feel uncomfortable around me and many turned away when they began to see they couldn't pull me back in to a life I had given up.

While I was careful not to judge my friends or my wife, my personal choices drew a dividing line between our lives that spoke volumes.  It was a very uncomfortable time for me and for them.  It hurt to lose so may relationships.  But I was not willing to turn back, regardless of the cost.

I also made it a point to treat everyone the way I'd like to be treated, despite how they treated me.  I worked hard and offered to help others on the job and in my circle of associations.  In time, old friends were less distant and some began to have an appreciation for the new me.  Some even began to seek out my help in their life challenges and hurts.

My wife was the first to see that the change in me was real and something worth finding more about. While I never tried to get her to attend worship with me, she knew she was welcome and one day did.  She began a journey that took her down a similar path as mine.  We both began to grow in the Lord together.

Later on, as my life and practice began to be seen as a personal choice not an indictment on others, an associate said to me, "You know what I like about you?  You are clearly a Christian but you do not force yourself our your ideas on others.  You let friends be who they are, but your life impacts them."

Of course, not everyone saw me or sees me that way today as I do take very clear stands on things and do not shirk from offering my opinion when I feel it is warranted - especially on social media.  But I have found that a consistent life of faith, despite the resistance to it and outright disparagement, has a very positive effect on most.  By the way, the fact that I'm not always right tends to impact my positive effect at times.  Sorry, I haven't got that perfect thing down yet.  You knew, right?!

I have found, yet again, that God's Word is true: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:9-10).  Despite the resistance and even backlash against trying to do and be good, God is faithful and will bless us and our efforts as lives we intersect begin to change and good prevails.  Jus' Say'n.