Through my life I have heard: “You scratch my back and I will scratch yours.” That is just another way of saying: “If you do something for me, I will do something for you.”

It is true that people who treat us right and do things for us are the people with whom we want to build or sustain a relationship. It is easy to show love to those who love us. It is easy to do good for those who do good for us.

There is also the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” If I examine the golden rule it is the opposite statement from: “You scratch my back and I will scratch yours.” If you live by the golden rule you start the process in a relationship. You might then say: “I scratch your back and after I do, you scratch mine.”

But we all know we can’t depend on someone reacting to us in the way we feel that they should. We might do something good for someone and they do not do something good for us. Look closer at the golden rule and you see that it states: “as you would have others do,” not that they will.

If others do not do good things for us as we have done for them, are our good deeds nullified? When we do good for others, are we creating the good work or are we passing along what someone has done for us? What about a third possibility, which is a combination of the other two “give and it will be given unto you?” How do we know the truth of who makes the first move and what the outcome will be?

These and other life questions will be addressed Sunday morning as “The Gathering Place Family” meets at 240 Courthouse Parkway in Washington C.H. for Bible Study at 9:30 and in the lobby at 10 a.m. for our Pre-Service Connection where we enjoy coffee, juice and donuts. Our Worship Service and Children’s Church then begins at 10:30. Come at 7 p.m. and be part of our Wednesday night Bible Study and Children’s Ministry.