Who copies you?

The days are rushing by as we move ever closer to the date when a removal van will pull up outside our front door ready to transport our belongings to our new home in Leicester.  There still seems to be so much to do and so little time in which to do it; the panic mode hasn't yet set in but the pressure is certainly building!

Very soon after we move, we will be heading down to London to the Olympic Stadium.  I was fortunate enough to be successful in the ticket draw, and we will be spending a morning watching athletics.  The events we are due to watch include the second morning of the women's heptathlon, so we expect to be cheering on Jessica Ennis in her attempt to win gold for Britain.  I did hope that we would also see Usain Bolt, as the men's 100m preliminaries are due to take place during the session we will be attending.  Sadly, it appears that the really good runners like Mr Bolt don't have to run in the preliminary round!

Usain Bolt is one of the most famous sportsmen in the world, following his astonishing exploits on the track over recent years.  His victory salute has become legendary.

I have 4 tickets, so as well as Sue and I, our daughter Steph and son-in-law Matt will be attending.  Until fairly recently we had something of a dilemma, because the organisers originally stated that they would not admit babies unless they had their own ticket!  Fortunately they have now seen sense, so Steph and Matt's daughter, Beth, will be there with us.  Two or three weeks ago I received an hilarious picture of Beth seemingly imitating Usain Bolt.  It was amazing, since someone so young could have no knowledge of the great man!

It was almost as if Beth knew all about Usain Bolt and wanted to be like him!  I was reminded of the anti-smoking advert which gave examples of how children imitate adult behaviour (see here).  It can be a very sobering thought for parents to realise that their children pick up so much of their behaviour and habits from their parents.  But the matter goes far wider than that, because all of us, by the way we live our lives (eg. the way we treat others, the language we use, the principles we live by, the kind of behaviours we model) are setting an example (good or not-so-good) to others.

When Jesus Christ became human and lived among us around 2000 years ago, he set a pattern for us all to follow.  What's more, he calls those who believe in and follow him to live in such a way as to set an example to others.  I am immensely challenged by that thought, as I know that I don't always set a great example.  So, who copies you?