Brendan P.
Keegan is the CEO of Merchants Fleet, a fast-growing fleet technology
company. He has been very successful in the business world receiving
several awards for his leadership and innovation.
What motivates a
successful business man like Keegan? What is the secret to his success?
In a recent article
shared on Fox News, Keegan states that much of his success “is
because I had an amazing older sister, Beth, with Down syndrome. She
taught me three lessons that have had a profound, positive influence on
the way I approach the world and life. Those lessons continue to shape
my outlook and behavior, and they can do the same for you.”
Here are the three lessons that Keegan says he learned from his sister:
1)
Kindness.
At Keegan’s ball games, Beth was always present, cheering him on. She
would “high-five” every player on her brother’s team and the opposing
team as well. “To
Beth, there wasn’t a ‘this team’ or ‘that team.’ Everybody
deserved fun.
Everybody deserved
encouragement. So she gave it, no strings attached.
Kindness
always trumped competition. It taught me not to withhold help or
support from anybody and to remember the value of treating people like
human beings just because that’s what they are.”
2) Unconditional love.
Keegan
recalls that there were times when people would be mean to Beth, but
Beth wouldn’t respond in anger. “It
was virtually impossible for her to look at somebody who’d mistreated
her and be upset with them because she didn’t believe they had to do
anything to earn her affection.
She loved
freely regardless of anybody’s behavior and treated everyone that
way.”
3) Gratitude and
appreciation.
Keegan
provides an example of her gratitude: “She didn’t care what she wore — she
was just grateful she had clothes. She started every single
morning happy about all of the everyday stuff. And despite any limits
there really might have been, she always believed she would have a
fantastic day and a fantastic life.” “Watching her,” Keegan adds, “I
eventually learned not to grumble so much. I have plenty to be grateful
for and appreciate if I only choose to see it.”
Consider other applications of these profound lessons:
When
we were “once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and
pleasures … the kindness
and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved
us” (Titus 3:3-5). It was the KINDNESS of God that prompted the
gift of His Son who died on the cross to save us from sin.
When
we were – and are – at our worst, God LOVES us anyway. In fact,
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Overwhelming GRATITUDE should be our response to the KINDNESS
and LOVE of God. The Apostle Paul expressed his gratitude for
salvation and purpose in Christ: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord …
although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man;
but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the
grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which
are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:12-14).
Because of God’s KINDNESS and LOVE, He sent Jesus to
rescue us from sin. God will save from sin and give eternal life to
those who place their
faith
and
trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in
repentance
(Acts 17:30-31),
confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are
baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of
His Word (1 John 1:7-9). GRATEFUL, trusting obedience should be
our response to the kindness and love of God.
Kindness, unconditional love, and gratitude – what wonderful lessons for
living. Thank you, Beth and Brendan. These profound lessons also
reflect some great realities in our relationship with God.
-- David A. Sargent
* Information gleaned from “3
key lessons my sister with Down syndrome taught me about life” by
Brendan P. Keegan in Fox News,
www.foxnews.com.
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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