It's Not a Competition

I am involved with 2 food ministries.  One is a food pantry, which I simply leave donations for when I have an opportunity.  The pantry is "open" once a month for those in the community (and even outside the immediate area) to get staples.  The other, is a monthly supper program.  Until recently, once a month I  was part of a group that cooked a nutritious meal (in most cases generous enough for more than one meal) then delivered them to people (mostly seniors) who were pretty much shut in.  With the pandemic both have had to change the way they do things.  Instead of a monthly food pantry, people in need had to make their needs know and then a delivery was made.  The supper program could no longer provide home cooked meal safely and instead shifted to a monthly delivery of a "meal" that consisted of pre-packed food (such as cans of soup and individual servings of fruit.)  The circumstances have brought challenges to both programs, but I haven't given up on either one and neither have the people who support each.

 Which one is more important?  Which is "better?"  The answer is NEITHER.  One is NOT more important than the other.   BOTH are important.  BOTH are vital.  Each program provides food to those who need it, but in different ways.  It's NOT a competition.

 And such SHOULD be the story of our lives.  Life is NOT a competition.

 That is not to say that life isn't full of competitions.  There have to be winners and losers in most of life's arenas.  Someone has to run the fastest race.  Someone has to be first chair in the orchestra.  Someone has to be the lead in the Broadway musical.  Someone has to be valedictorian.  In a wide variety of categories, someone has to be "the best."  But just because someone is considered to be "the best" in something, doesn't make him or her BETTER than anyone else. 

 I may be a better writer than you.  You may be a better artist than I am.  (That's not saying much; I am a lousy artist).  But I am NOT a better person that you are and vice versa.  You cannot be better than anyone.  You can be richer.  You can be smarter.  But you cannot be better.  Life is NOT a competition.

 You cannot be me.  I cannot be you.  Neither one of us is better.  We are just people.  We can chose to do "good" things.  We can care for people, we can give to charity.  We can chose do "bad" things.  We can cut down people with words or actions; we can cheat or steal.  But doing something "good" doesn't make you better.  And someone doing something "bad" doesn't elevate another.

 Life is not a race; there is no winning a grand prize.  We all get to the "end" at different times and under different circumstances. Death is the only true certainty we have; for as there is life, there must be death. Surely we are not racing to end life?  I hope not!  

While there may be moments and things that represent "wins" in your (specific) life, but there is nothing to win.  Life itself is the prize.  Being alive is the prize.  The goal should be being the best person YOU can be.    

 The amazing thing is that only YOU have the ability to be the best you.  What makes you "best" is completely different from what might make me best.  Your "best" life is not my "best" life.  We are all unique.  We all walk down different paths, yet we can walk them together without being in competition.