When Ryan was a boy, Friday night was our family night. We always had pizza and orange juice. We always watched a movie (James and the Giant Peach was Ryan's choice for years). It was one of those fun activities that evolved into tradition. Now, if it's Friday and we are together, we are most likely having pizza.
The Friday night after we returned from the Bahamas, we planned to have pizza just like always. I prefer a vegetarian pizza but Ryan always wants meat. "Hey, Ryan," I asked. "What do you want on your pizza?" Much to my surprise, he said, "Let's have the double sauce pineapple pizza!" "What?" One of the people we met in the Bahamas (The Legend) had joined us for dinner one evening and ordered a "special" pizza. Ryan remembered all the ingredients, and wanted to give it a try.
After a quick trip to the grocery, I started to work. Double thick sauce over the thin crust, then thin-sliced onions, pineapple, black olives, and extra olive oil. No cheese. It looked good, but I added spinach, mushrooms, and preserved lemons to top it off. I was out of artichokes, but we ended up with all the other ingredients Ryan remembered. Yum. The pizza really was good. We called it Legend Pizza.
I knew our new friend had a custom pizza, but I was only peripherally aware of the ingredients. Ryan, however, had noticed everything, including the pizza, and opted to try it for himself. The Legend is a kind, humble man, and I'm happy for Ryan to copy his behavior. It's made me wonder, though, about people who watch me. Do they copy what I do? It's one thing to copy a pizza order, but what about lifestyle choices? What about my attitudes or the way I treat other people?
Ryan and the pizza have made me much more aware of my time in public and the people who, unbeknownst to me, are not only watching me, but also copying me. It's a sobering thought, isn't it? When I was growing up, I often heard, "Be careful how you act. You may be the only Bible some people ever read." The Legend Pizza reminds me that it was more than just a nice saying. People do notice and they do copy what they see. The question we all need to answer is, "What do people see when they are watching me?" I certainly hope that people who notice me see a woman who acts like Jesus all the time. Of course, they don't, but I wish they did, don't you?
I don't suppose The Legend had any idea that a young man was looking to him for an example that evening. I'm really grateful that the example he set was a good one. You never know who's looking to you. Let's make sure the example we set is one worth copying.
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