areliablefaith

The Super Bowl has become as much about evaluating and comparing the commercials as it has the actual game, at least in those years that the game is a hum-drum affair.  This year the game was very exciting and many of the commercials were stellar as well.  There were a couple commercials that stood out to me – one for the sentimental tug-at-the-heart impact and the other for the see-for-the-first-time wallop it provided.

The Nissan commercial showing the professional race car driver that so frequently had to leave his family struck a chord with me.  The father had to leave for distant places for extended times.  It evoked the pang of loss that frequent, long partings elicit.  It brought home the importance of staying connected in the times we are together and being intentional about loving in a real and tangible way all the time.  Having been in a high travel role before I realize that the most important aspect of demonstrating love was the arrival home.  Fatigue, the next to do list, travel difficulties are all distractions that can cause us to miss the vitally important and impactful moment of arrival.  I really appreciated the way the commercial communicated the love between father and son at the end.  Unlike the Cat Stevens’ song that accompanied the commercial which emphasizes the separation and growing distance between father and son, the commercial ended with connection, love, and two lives bonded as they were meant to be.  Very cool!

The commercial that impacted me the most though was the “Throw Like A Girl” commercial.  I believe that one of the reasons the good Lord put me on this earth is to encourage others.  While I am an engineer and manager whose job often requires me to exercise critical thinking and make accurate judgment calls, I am energized when I can provide constructive feedback in a manner that builds and encourages.  I am a soccer coach too and I have seen first-hand the superiority of an encouraging word versus the “chewing out” form of feedback many coaches provide.  What I saw in the commercial was the potential power of a seemingly tame dig to a young girl’s self-image.  I was taken aback because I have teased with such statements without a second thought to whether the person on the receiving end might actually feel demeaned by it.  Wow!  Here I am believing I am an encourager and I may be tearing down in subtle ways without even realizing it.

I am thankful for the commercial because it made me aware of this shortcoming I possess.  With this awareness, I am resolved to do something about it.  I am turning away from blithely saying the familiar digs.  Additionally I am going to be more intentional about listening to and understanding others so I can recognize how to be an encourager to them.  There have been times in the past when I have been much more attentive, particularly toward those with esteem issues, and I have striven to be a positive influence for them.  The past year has been one of monumental stress for me and I have been too inward focused to see and respond to the needs of others like I should.  With the Lord’s help, I intend to change that starting now.

I guess I would have to call that a highly effective commercial – it has impacted me and brought about the type of change in behavior that I believe they wanted.  I hope that this is true for many others too.

Have a blessed day and be a blessing to someone today!