Unsure why I thought of this today, but we have all been there.

We had a cattle fitting service and when my husband worked on the feet of cattle, he knew well what he was doing.  He knew by watching them walk which foot or feet needed to be corrected.

Correcting feet is vital before going into the show ring, and one of the first things a judge sees when judging the soundness of livestock.  Without sound feet the structure of the animal breaks down and he or she must be culled.  It is a genetic flaw and will be passed on to progeny if not eliminated from the herd.  There is the reputation of the ranch on the line as well.  They want to be known for producing high quality cattle.  It can make the difference in sales of their cattle during the year.  Reputation and character are everything in the cattle business as well as in any business.

One time while my husband was working with some heifers, a man kept interrupting telling him how to correct her feet.  My husband, normally patient and this time as well, but finally out of frustration, looked up from his work and told the man.  It is this price for watching and a higher price for instruction. The man left.  Instead of helping my husband, he was keeping him from doing what he did best and trying to make my husband look as though he was inept.  I assure you, he was not inept when it came to cattle.

There is a constructive, and a destructive criticism.  When others are trying to teach us a better way, we should not become obstinate and unwilling to learn, but conversely, becoming hypercritical and derogatory of others can destroy a person’s reputation and most especially when we are not willing to pitch in and help them as in the case of my husband.

“A woman driver had the misfortune of having her car to stall in heavy traffic. Furthermore, she could not get it started.  A man in the car behind her expressed his impatience by blowing on his horn every few seconds.  Finally, the perturbed and shaken lady got out of the car, walked to the honker’s car and said, “I’m having difficulty starting my car.  I’ll make you this proposition:  if you’ll try to start my car for me, I’ll honk your horn for you.”

There are a lot more honkers than helpers.  The reason – it is easier to honk than to help, to talk than to work, to criticize than to assist.

If you really want to help your fellow-man, lift a hand – and that includes off the horn.

When we are stalled out there on life’s highway, we are indeed thankful that God does not blow a horn at us.  Instead, He helps us.  In recognition of His help, the Psalmist said:

“My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:  He that helpeth thee will not slumber.”        (Psalms 121:2-3).

May we always willing to pitch in and help our fellow man do his best.  It not only helps him but will help us as well.

“I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 2:35)

 Eileen Light