Beating the McFly Syndrome

In one of the old fables, a father and son were walking their donkey to market. A passing citizen remarked how foolish they were to not use the donkey to ride on. So, they both climbed on the donkey and continued on.

A few minutes later another passer-by commented on how cruel it was for them both to ride the poor animal. So, the father hopped off, and they continued.

In the next moment, another traveler allowed how little respect the son was showing to his father…riding the donkey while the old man had to walk. So the father and son traded positions.

That worked fine until then next passer-by indignantly noted how evil the father was, riding like a king while he made his poor boy walk like a little slave.  So, they switched places again.  The story continued on like this until the two arrived at the market…carrying the donkey.

The moral of the story is, of course, that if you try to please everyone, you’ll end up pleasing no one.

Well wasn’t that the life story of George McFly in Back to the Future? He was “not very good at confrontations.” So, in effect, he spent every moment trying to appease everyone…fellow students, school administrators, parents...and Biff.  McFly spent his life not being who he really was and trying not to offend anyone. And as a result, he moved himself into a place where he was alone and relevant to no one.

Finally George realized that there was something worth fighting for…and dropped Biff like a sack of potatoes with the right cross that launched Back to the Future II and III.

I’ve lived like a McFly for years. There are many of us people pleasers who “don’t do well at confrontations.” I avoid them like the plague. 

I tried to please the world, my flesh, my family, relatives, colleagues at work, God, churchpeople.  I was engaged in a hire-wire balancing act, trying to keep everyone appeased.  And, I ended up carrying the donkey.   I stood for nothing and guided myself into loneliness and irrelevancy. Hello! McFly? Is anybody home? Can’t you see what you’re doing to yourself?

But as I work the Spiritual Loser's Operational Plan (SLOP), I’m starting to see how I’ve been trying to appease everyone in my life…and…that I don’t have to.

While I need not be as dramatic as George McFly in turning things around (I don’t intend to slug anyone) I’m seeing now only One that I really want to please.

As I continually look into God’s face and see his love, compassion, excitement, encouragement, forgiveness, acceptance, affirmation, peace, protection, etc., I can let go of my appeasing attitude and seek to please just Him. He’s easy to please. Trying to please everyone else is…well, it’s frustrating and impossible.

I suppose I will begin to step on a few toes who will begin to wonder why I don’t fold like a deck of cards like I used to. And my goal there will be to continue to look on God’s face, relate to Him with faith through the Holy Spirit, and let God’s love overflow from me like a river, and let that deal with the situation. I see no issues with that.

I feel like I’m growing, and I feel like I’m growing in the right direction. It feels good.