Opening doors


Kids who know and follow Jesus understand that they are ministers called to serve. There is no better antidote to entitlement than serving. We must teach our children to seek out relationships and then seek to give to those people rather than to receive from them. For my son, it was simple and started early when I taught him how to open a door for other people in public. Since most stores have two sets of double doors, teaching him was easy. I would get the first door, invite him through, and ask him to open the next door. We then waited for the Princess and Queen (Corynn and Mom) to pass through. I would high-five Carson on my way through. He gets it, but he really got it when he held open the door for a rapper in Orlando, Florida. While staying at an Orlando resort over spring break one year, my lessons on chivalry continued. As we walked out of the hotel to the pool, we met a posse of what looked like very important rappers. I am not stereotyping—okay, maybe just a little. Seriously though, if you meet a rapper like P. Diddy and he steps out of a black Suburban with eight armed guards, you spot him right away. No immersion in rap culture necessary. The hat with a perfectly straight bill tilted sideways, mega chains, a modest amount of tattoos, and all white clothes—he was a dead giveaway. “Carson, quick, get the door,” I said. I caught Carson off guard because he had swimming on the brain. He held open the door, and the rapper was the first one through. He stopped, turned around, and looked at Carson for a second. Apparently, Carson had caught him off guard too. We had a special moment, because what happened next was unforgettable. The guy reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of cash, peeled off a twenty-dollar bill, handed it to my son, and said, “Here, kid, go buy yourself a T-shirt or something.” Carson’s eyes were as big as saucers as he thought to himself, These tall people carry lots of cash . The good thing about Orlando is that in this tourist town, twenty dollars buys about six T-shirts at any gas station. Reminding Carson to open doors is no longer necessary; now he just does it because the potential of cash lurks around every corner.

Ted Cunningham

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From the book “Trophy Child”

Available on amazon.co.uk*

Available on amazon.com*



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