Are You Cheering at the Misfortune of Others?

Many of you have heard me tell the stories of how I trained in high school desiring to cheer for OSU one day. The girls in the high school squad were not huge fans of mine. If you have read my work any length of time, you will soon realize that politics, cliques, and fake friendships have never been my strong suit. We had try-outs coming up and while I was the only tumbler on the high school squad I decided I would perfect my standing back tuck for tryouts because I needed it to get on the Ohio State’s squad years later. So, having only done a standing back tuck either spotted on the ground, or on a trampoline I decided to set up a VCR camera and record myself performing this feat on a carpeted concrete floor. I still have that video. I ended my cheerleading future in the moment. I made that back tuck three separate times, but at the end, I fell forward and hit my wrist. Years of tumbling had done a number on my wrists to begin with so much that I remember wrapping them tight enough to cut off circulation a bit just so I could tumble. Long story short, ultimately I ended up breaking my wrist. A metal plate, six screws, and a pin in my wrist later….at least I learned to laugh about it. It took me some time after that adjusting to the fact, I would never cheer for OSU, but I can see now that as a result good things did come out of it all. Had I cheered for them, things in my life that happened would never have happened so now I see the good in it all.

However, at first I was heart broken. Never being one to let things keep me down for too long, it did not last long, but I had a season of adjustment. I had a season of coming to terms with all of it.

I still remember the day I went back to school after I broke my wrist. Tension and girl politics had been high about the upcoming tryouts. When I showed up in a cast, the whispers and gasps began. One particular girl had always been my rival competitor. She ran up to me asking me what happened. To my face, she was mildly sympathetic, and perhaps if I did not hear her scream exuberantly and squeal all the way down the hallway after she left my presence I would have believed she cared. However, the minute she hit the door thinking I no longer heard her. She began whooping and hollering at everyone she saw that I was injured and thus no longer competition for her. I could hear cheers all the way down the hallway from her and others. (I do not believe she is a reader of mine. However having said that please realize I forgave her a long time ago, and honestly wish her the best. I am making a point here with this story.)

We often talk about the Golden Rule in life. We embroider it on pillows and paint it on wall murals, but do we really live it?

Luke 6:31(NIV)
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

I love how the Message Bible says that scripture…

Luke 6:31 (MSG)
31-34"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that is charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.


Are we living loving people, and treating them they way we want to be treated. Or are we merely acting one way in front of them, and going down the hallways of life really feeling something else. There is a lost and dying world who does not know Jesus and when we are fake people in front of them, they see it. Do you secretly snicker when that person you do not like and was mean to you goes through hardship? Or do you lend a helping hand and love them regardless. Life is too short to be fake. Be real with the love of Jesus and treat people the way you want to be treated. God has awesome plans for your life. Get excited!