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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: ADAGE (10/05/23)
I knew the adage well. It was embedded deep within me. How could I not? A plaque with those words hung on the wall of my childhood.

J – Jesus First
O – Others Next
Y- Yourself Last

On a regular basis I was reminded that everyone else in the world was more important than me. The message I received was that I didn’t matter.

During my high school years, I was told I would be marrying the preacher’s son. It was true. Before I completed my senior year the marriage was arranged. I moved to another state with my new husband. Some very kind soul had given us that same plaque to hang on the wall in our new abode. My husband carried on my mother’s tradition of reminding me often exactly what those words meant.

That marriage came and went, but now I was mother to three daughters. It was up to me to make sure they understood my mother’s teachings. As a Christian, we could never matter, so I passed my low self-esteem on to them.

Funny thing. I began to read the Bible all by myself with no one telling me what it meant. As the days and weeks passed, I pondered if I had been taught correctly. It didn’t seem like God saw me as a nobody. Then came the day a verse leaped off the page and into my heart.

“…You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind., and love your neighbor as YOURSELF.” Luke 10:27 (NLT)

As myself? I was supposed to love myself?

I returned to that scripture repeatedly over the days. It still said the same thing. I wanted to believe it. It was in the Bible. It must be true. As I worked on processing that idea, I became almost giddy. I was supposed to love myself! There was no quick acceptance of me. I would think about liking me and then immediately repent for thinking such a thing.

One day the concept solidified. I walked to the wall and removed the plaque. In quick strides I arrived at the trash can, opened the lid and with a sigh of relief thew it away.

I still believe Jesus comes first in my life. And others definitely matter, but not at the expense of losing me. Jesus gave His life for me too. My name is still Joy. But with an altogether different meaning.

…Delight
…Well-being
…Gaiety
…State of Happiness
…Bliss
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
10/19/23
This is a powerful piece and it hurt my heart a bit. I was in my 20s before I understood the verse, "Do unto others..." I never understood why God would want me to treat others the way I treated myself. That would be horrible. So I can relate to your MC. Your opening line made me grin. I knew what you meant, but I still wondered how one hangs a plague on their childhood. It's a tiny thing, but little things like that can distract the reader. Of course I knew you meant the wall of your childhood home. I'd have loved to hear more about how that made you feel. It'd be a great opportunity to use body language, dialog, and thoughts to show not tell. I think you nailed the topic, kept my interest from beginning to end, and made me stop and think, which are always great things to do! Good job.