Every time I drive home from college, I pass by this small church. I never paid attention to it, until one evening. I believe in God's timing and this was definitely the moment he wanted me to notice the church sign. I was driving back to college from burying my grandfather. I had had a rough week and was ready to just go to sleep. As I was driving, I happened to get behind a car who was turning left into the church parking lot. This caused me to look over and see where the car was going. Instead, I happened to read the sign. The words on it have stuck with me for months. "Be a fountain, not a drain."
At the time, I was flooded with thoughts of my grandfathers. During his life on earth, he spent his time pouring the love of God into others. He was anything but a drain. I am proud to be his granddaughter.
It's been four months since I saw that sign, and something about it has stuck with me. I've been thinking about what it said, and how I can apply it to my life. I believe that there is a strong Biblical answer as well as an everyday answer. Biblically speaking, Christian's are to fill others with the love of God. We are to spread His word and not suck the life out of non-believers. In an everyday setting, we are to fill others with love and kindness rather than drain the life out of them.
How can one accomplish being a fountain? The answer is simple. All you have to do is make sure what you're "spreading" isn't going to drain someone. What people spread can be kindness, motivation, comedy, etc. The key is to not be a hindrance to others. Whatever you say or do should not make someone feel horrible.
After doing research online, I found out there is a guy behind the quote that's been stuck in my head. His name is Rex Hudler who is a former MLB player. He is now spending his days as a motivational speaker. I guess that makes sense on why his quote has motivated me.
I have decided that I am going to make my goal this year to "be a fountain, not a drain." I hope to impact those around me in a positive way. We don't need to "drain" those around us even if we feel drained ourselves. My hope is that someone can benefit from this quote. You never know where good advice is going to come from. I like to think this sign was one last bit of advice from my Papaw.
