Taken off the blinders, looking beyond ourselves:

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I hope today’s lesson will be of use to youth ministries, family counselors, family devotionals, and family home evenings. Today’s topic is taking off blinders by looking beyond ourselves. And this is specifically dedicated to seeing the value of others when we are not obsessed about only about ourselves.

For the object lesson, take off the blinders we will need the following list of supplies: a blindfold or scarf, a popular well-known book, a popular movie on VHS or DVD, a printout of a good recipe for meal, a beautiful photograph of a famous painting and several pieces of nature such as a beautiful rock, a branch of a tree, and water in a bottle. Put all these items in boxes.

Place a person in the middle of the room. This will be a member of the family or a member of the class. No one in the room is to know what is in the boxes except for the person who prepared the boxes. Have the various boxes assigned to each member of the class or family and have them sit at various points of the room.

Have one person sit in the center of the room and ask that person to identify what might be in a box. When they can’t identify the items, let them guess and then move to the next box. Once all the boxes have been guessed at, have each family members or class members open their box. Have them take the object out and describe the characteristics of the item. If it’s a branch of the tree, maybe they can talk about the attributes and usefulness of trees for shade, bearing fruit or providing wood to make furniture, etc. Each box to be opened and the item within shall be discussed.

Just like the hidden items in a box have their secrets, so people who don’t know, have secrets of knowledge and fun traits. We may not know about a good move or good book unless we watch that movie or read that book. Just as the items in each box was once a mystery; so, at one point, is there a mystery of strangers. When we open a conversation and have an interest in them. We can learn interesting details about them.

I was reminded of this very important lesson. Only yesterday yesterday, while I attended a writer’s conference called Iwrite. While there, I had the opportunity to meet several authors who have very interesting areas of knowledge. If I had not taken the opportunity to get to know them and converse with them. I would have never have learned about them and their skills.

If I had not spoken to them and only paid attention to myself, I would have missed out.

One author spent time in Africa helping the people. She learned about the culture, lifestyles and aspects of nature of that area. She discussed briefly some of the dangers of the country and what the people must do to protect themselves. Another author had started a blog dedicated to improving a chorus group. They videotape their performances and analyze their performances to seek areas of improvement and thus evolved to become a better group. A third author has spent time learning about the various aspects and unique attributes of twitter. From personal experience. She knows what useful hash tags are good to follow for authors.

Here are three people who have very fascinating aspects of knowledge that I would not have never known about had we not conversed. This is just on one day during one event. Think of all the people that we know at school or at work or in our congregations. Each of them have various and fascinating aspects of knowledge that we can learn about what you get to know them.

The invitation is for the next week is to make the opportunity to get to know someone that you really don’t know. There might be someone in your congregation that you haven’t really talked to. For the next few times you meet, seek them out and get to know them. This might be the first step in establishing a very good friendship.

In the comment section of this blog, I invite you to think of someone, a stranger who you have recently met. Tell us something interesting that you’ve learned about that person. Please share your experience in the comment section of the blog. Thank you.

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