December 27, 2020
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4
I’ve always liked video games, ever since I was a kid, and was especially drawn to the Pokémon franchise. Naturally, when the mobile game Pokémon GO came out in 2016, I was ecstatic and played every day. What I didn’t know was that my mother had found out about the game and started playing secretly with my dad in order to surprise me! She kept it secret for a few weeks so she could get the hang of the game, then came to me and showed me her progress. That moment was huge for me—I had no idea she had been playing, and of course, we started going out to play together.
She didn’t start playing because she was interested—she started playing to bond with her son. It wasn’t a huge gesture, but a rather small one. But the impact was huge. She still plays, and we get together and bond over her new Pokémon or I help her with new mechanics in the game.
This small step she took to create a special bond with me makes me want to ask: What small step can all of us take to create a special bond with someone in our lives? Philippians 2:4 reminds us that we need to look out for others, and sometimes that can mean a very small step that brings us much closer together. I pray that each of us not only finds a way to take a step closer to someone we know and care for, but that we also experience being on the receiving end of the love behind such a caring action.
Sean Sheridan