Have you ever noticed that, as human beings, we have an amazing tendency to over-estimate our value in the eyes of others?

I guess it’s just human nature to assume that others will appreciate us as much as we appreciate ourselves.  But don’t be fooled!

No matter how "special" we may think we are, life (and others) always has a way of putting us in our place.

Consider this modern day parable:

Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School.

"Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

"When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge, and all the people walked across safely.

"He used his walkie-talkie to radio headquarters and call in an air strike.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "There are no small roles, only small actors?"

It’s a reminder that we all have an important "part" to play in one another’s lives this Christmas season, even if our "part" isn’t exactly the one we were hoping for!

A church was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that role, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead.

He was pretty upset about this, but he didn’t say anything to the director.  During all the rehearsals, he thought about what he might do the night of performance to get even with this rival who got to be Joseph.

There’s a famous quote that says, "It’s better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Under normal circumstances, that is such good advice. However, there are times where you simply MUST open your mouth!

Professional golfer Tommy Bolt (who was better known for his temper than his swing) was playing in Los Angeles and had a caddy with a reputation of constant chatter.