Be Considerate, By Dale Sandlin

BE CONSIDERATE

By Dale Sandlin

If you’ve watched or streamed anything in the past couple of weeks, you may have seen the new advertisement from Volkswagen. In touting their latest offering, the commercial focuses on an inconsiderate pedestrian, completely absorbed in what is playing on his phone. The pedestrian first doesn’t hold the door open for the guy on crutches whom he passes in the hallway. He then steps over a mail carrier who has dropped her mail. He next invades a conversation on a park bench with laughter about what’s happening on his screen. Finally, he walks out into the middle of the street without looking right in front of the new Volkswagen. While this could be seen as an amazing vehicle that stops itself to protect the pedestrian and those in the car, to me it’s a sad commentary on the current status quo.

It’s not uncommon these days to see the self-absorbed demand that the rest of us focus on their every whim. The lack of consideration for others is not something that we are called to. The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:4). Showing consideration is one of the noblest and most humble acts that we can give to each other. Growing up, we were expected to hold a door for someone, to give up our seat to an elder – and to go out of our way to make someone’s day.

One of the best examples that I had growing up was a man by the name of Phil Brewer. Generally known to all as simply Brewer, he treated everyone as greater than himself. He would go out of his way to help anyone who needed it; when I was a little kid, he always treated me with respect and took the time to talk about anything that I had a mind to discuss. Brewer loved hauling cattle. As a little kid, I always looked forward to a trip where he was hauling cattle with my father or grandfather. I enjoyed picking out his truck as we’d meet him on the road as well, seeing BREWER on the sign on the front of his cattle trailer. Prior to his service to our country, Brewer was one of the best bull riders in Texas. Brewer, along with his wife, Karen (“The Green-Eyed Monster”), and his sons, Tod and Jay, were some of our family’s best friends. Brewer lost his battle with cancer in October, and we are left with the knowledge that he is in Heaven. He also left us his example of always showing consideration. While you may not have known him, I’m sure that you know someone who exhibits the same trait of kind consideration for others. I hope that the next time you see an opportunity to be considerate toward someone else, you will rise to the occasion. There is profound blessing in making this gesture without fanfare, but with the knowledge and the self-satisfaction that you’ve made someone’s day while improving our world. I believe that if the world experienced a greater measure of considerate actions, it would be a much better place.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for that guy on the commercial; there are probably more where he came from.