Pressure From All Places

So much pressure when I am trying to get the kids’ lunches ready in the morning for school.  I always have 2 pair of eyes watching me as I make turkey sandwiches.  Their eyes feel like it is piercing through my heart!  I can almost feel what they are feeling, the desperation and need to just get a little bite. 
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I don’t know which one is worse, the cat or the dog.  Because the cat is vocal, very vocal.  Meowing and crying constantly.  And I know that our cat has perfected her cries so well that it garners attention.  Meanwhile, my dog is silent.  She just sits there in the kitchen watching, not making the slightest noises.  No barking, no whining, not even the slightest movement.  Our dog will just sit there silently and patiently…. Drooling… drooling a ton, as if she is forming the newest Great Lake, named Lake Superior Drool. 

 So, I feel so much pressure to give some food to my cat and dog while I make turkey sandwiches.  I now feel that I am obligated to give them just a little.  But before I even give them the tiniest food, I have to make sure I finish making the food for the kids lunch, clean up everything and put the food away while saving a little nub for the cat and dog.  Because if I give the cat and dog too early, like in the food making process, they will continue to be relentless in their begging technique. 

So, I got to wait till the end.  And only when I give them a little treat, the pressure for me will end.  I can feel relief and feel peace.  And when you think about it, life is just like trying to make sandwiches in the morning while hungry animals are begging right in front of you.  Life is all about pressure, and most of the time the pressure we feel is because of other people, and that other people have their eyes on us. 

Pressure in the workplace is because your boss, colleagues, workers, and even “customers” have their eyes on you to see your “performance” and whether that “performance” is up to their standards of excellence.  Pressure in school is often felt because of how concerned we are about what other people think about us, or how my grades might impress friends, teachers, or parents.  Pressure is all around us because we tend to focus our attention on other people and that their opinions might matter to how we feel.  We often focus on the eyes that are on us, feeling people’s gaze and hoping that we do everything we can to satisfy the people around us.

Unfortunately, this kind of thinking needs to end.  Our happiness, our being, our life should not be controlled by other people’s opinions.  Who really cares what people think.  We will never be able to make all people happy anyways!  The truth is you can make some people happy but then other people may feel unhappy. 

Your teacher may give you high praises for being a good student, but some of your classmates might ridicule you for being a “teacher’s pet.”  You might impress the boss with your work ethic, but your work peers may see your work ethics as a threat to their job performance, and then they may isolate you from workplace relationships.  You can never win all people over and satisfy all people’s hunger.  So, stop trying.

Jesus’ ministry was full of disappointment.  No matter what he did, there is always some to criticize him.  When he heals people, the religious authority questions Jesus’ authority to heal people.  When Jesus gives a message to the disciples, the disciples leave Him because the message is too difficult.  When all Jesus wants to do is serve God, His family calls Him crazy.  If we learn anything from Jesus, it is simply that we cannot please all people, it is impossible.  But this never stopped Jesus is serving people well.  Regardless of Him facing rejection and criticism, Jesus continues to take care of people no matter what.  Because Jesus’ serving, loving, and caring heart for people is never depended on people’s acceptance.  Jesus serves others because He loves them, even if they do not love Him back.  Jesus serves, because He knows it is the right thing to do, and He does it because He wants to, not because He has too.
Love people, service people, it is good to do so, but don’t do it because you are looking for a reward and people’s applause or because you want to make people happy.  Love people, serve people because you want to, because service and love gives you happiness and peace.    

To be honest, I do not think my cat or dog is going to love me less if I do not give them some sandwich meat from making school lunches.  Also, I do not think their opinion of me is going to change much if I do give them a taste of what is being made for school lunches.  But I give them a treat of it anyways, because… well… I want to.

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