Two of the condos were one-bedroom and two were two-bedroom. The family with the most children and the family with the youngest children got the two-bedroom units. The other two families each got a one bed-room unit with a pullout sofa bed in the living room.
These timeshare condos were spacious with a large living and dining area and a spacious patio. Most of the units had beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. The patios were a popular spot for a family breakfast. Everyone seemed happy with their accommodations.
However, one unit had some noisy neighbors. I’m not talking about the people living upstairs or next door. I’m talking about a rooster who would wake up every morning around 4:30 AM and announce to the world that it was to time to get going. The rooster and his friends were living in some dense shrubbery just beyond their condo’s patio. He was loud and bold. Every morning he kept waking up our daughter and her husband and their two young children.
They called the office and asked if something could be done about this noisy neighbor. The clerk joked that there was a bounty on the rooster’s life but no one on the staff had been able to persuade the rooster to relocate. The “cock-a-doodle-do” went on morning after morning. While the families in the other condos enjoyed a good night’s sleep, the family near the rooster were not so lucky.
Our grandchildren decided to give the rooster a name – Charlie. He became part of their family during their week in Maui. It is not uncommon to see roosters and chickens along the side of the roads and in the landscaping all over Hawaii. Several times we saw a chicken carefully escorting her brood of tiny chicks across a parking lot or down a walking path. Chickens and roosters are a common sight in Hawaii but the most memorable on our trip was Charlie.
I wonder if there is a Charlie in your life. Is there someone at work or at school who is unaware that their words and actions are irritating you? Is there a Charlie in your church or service club who agitates and frustrates you? Are you married to a Charlie? Or, could it be that you are the Charlie in someone else’s life?
Let me encourage you to be kind and patient with the Charlies in your life. Some Charlies are not even aware they are bothering you. They may just plunge into a new day unaware that some people like to sleep-in or go at a slower pace. They may not be aware of how much or how loud they talk. There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Love is patient and love is kind” (First Corinthians 13:4). Change comes through kindness not conflict. Be patient and kind to the Charlies in your life. Be willing to change if you are the Charlie in someone else’s life. You will be glad you did and they will too!
Read more encouraging stories in the authors book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. You can order a copy at markh@efreedb.org. The cost is only $25 and includes postage. You will be glad you did!
Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper 
Excellent- again!
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