A while back I read of two men who were sent to the hospital for using a lawn mower as a hedge trimmer. No, I wrote that correctly. Two men picked up a power mower and tried to use it to trim a hedge. As one might suspect, they suffered serious damage to exposed digits and appendages.

What is striking about these two individuals is that rather than feel accountable for their own actions, they sued the manufacturer of the lawn mower for not posting proper warnings. Interesting. Their injuries were the result of improper warning labels. Rather than take responsibility for their behavior, however inane, they chose to blame someone else.

In our society too often the responsibility for "who I am" and "how I act" is shifted to someone else. If I mess up, someone else is to blame--I'm not at fault. It's so convenient to feel good about the self when others can be blamed for wrong choices and decisions and mistakes.

But what really occurs is that excuses hamper our personal growth and, without growth, we can't fulfill our potential.

Paying the price--an admission

I'll make an admission here. For years I blamed certain personality flaws and character traits on my family--they were to blame for actions and attitudes that I wished I didn't display. That was, until a friend asked me if I was still living at home.

My family was 3,000 miles away and I'd been on my own for years, but I still carried that crutch of "my family made me this way." It was a convenient catchall for my poor behavior. It was handy to blame them for my poor conduct. They were an easy target--until that question from my friend.

I had to admit that, no, I was not living at home. I made the day-to-day decisions of how I would act and what I would say. The family influence really wasn't there any longer and hadn't been there for several years.

So, I was asked, if the negative influence of my family wasn't in my life, how could I continue to blame them if I knew better? My friend implied that I must want to be this way. It really must be my choice. I was choosing to say and do those things which I didn't want to do, not because of family, but because I chose to do so.

What an eye-opener!

I realized I was completely responsible for myself at all times, as we all are responsible for who we are and how we act, even under stress and duress.

Some want to blame poor personal performance on the actions and attitudes of others. Does the poor performance of someone else warrant a similar action and reaction on my part? Does someone calling me names make his or her opinion of me valid? And should I react in kind? Of course not!

The point in all this is that it is so easy to blame someone else and not take responsibility. But when you don't take responsibility for your actions, you have no reason for, nor do you see any possibility of, making a change in your life. If you're not responsible for yourself, how is there any hope of change? It's those others. They need to change their attitudes and actions. But they don't change, so why should you?

Taking control

When we claim responsibility for our actions, we actually take control over our lives. We can now make positive changes about who we are and who we will be. I discovered that it is only when we're taking responsibility for our actions, ceasing to blame others, that we have the means, focus and wherewithal to make personal changes. I learned that it's OK to make mistakes. I learn from them. I don't try to hide them or hide from them anymore. I don't try to justify them. I made them. I accept them. I can go forward not wanting to make the same mistakes again. This is especially important in the spiritual area of life. When our mistakes break God's laws, we can seek God's forgiveness and His help to overcome them (Acts 3:19). In God's book, repenting and changing are the name of the game.

Just like the statement that those who forget the lessons of history are bound to repeat them, those who blame others for their mistakes will never change from making them over and over and over again.

Taking responsibility secures power over the self and provides positive energy toward achieving our God-intended potential. I've never seen a successful Christian blaming others for his or her setbacks and mistakes. The real successes claim responsibility for their actions and then let God take control of their lives and their futures. s celebrities, they're pretty unlikely. They dress in conservative suits and talk of arcane subjects. Yet for six years they have enticed hundreds of thousands of average people all across the United States to stand in line for hours for the opportunity to share their stories of family heirlooms, garage sale finds and genuine "Tiffany" lamps. They're the expert appraisers from the PBS series Antiques Roadshow.

If you're hooked on the show, as I am, you identify with the optimistic people who bring paintings purchased for a reluctant 50 cents at yard sales, hoping the appraisers will reveal they are actually museum-quality masterpieces.

Most people discover that their junk is just junk. Some even find that items they had thought were valuable are only imitations. But every week, someone brings in a toy, or a vase or a lunch box that they've taken for granted for years, only to discover that at auction they could expect to sell the item for thousands of dollars to a collector.

If you watch the show, you'll see owners suddenly transformed, from stoic narrators to crying, laughing, jumping, overwhelmed jackpot winners. They're the same people. They have the same job, the same family and the same possessions. But suddenly, they look at everything differently. Especially their "treasure."

In a few moments, what had been considered an out-of-date relic, previously relegated to the basement, becomes a cherished possession. The item was always the same. The only difference was that someone finally helped them understand its true value.

If you're like me, you find it easy to take your treasures for granted too. Take prayer, for instance.

The opportunity to have a private audience with our Creator and Ruler--at any time we choose--can seem like an unremarkable occurrence, since it occurs every day. Sometimes it takes something a little unusual to reveal the value in that contact with God.

God cares about the little things

I'm ashamed to admit that before praying, I sometimes screen out items that I assume are too insignificant. Especially in the wake of current events, I sometimes think, "With all the suffering in the world, unrest in the Middle East, war in Afghanistan, how can I bother God with my little hopes and concerns?"

Deep down, I realize that God is acutely aware of all those things I categorize as too mundane to discuss with Him. "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31).

Recently, however, I had one of those little experiences that brought the point home, almost like an appraiser showing me the value and purpose of sharing details of life with our Father. It seemed to offer me the permission to "beat my prayers fine."

I was praying about relationships: family situations, people I had drifted away from, even a church member I hadn't liked for a long time.

First, I asked for God's help in gathering my busy family for some "quality" time together. School, college, work, computers and television...so many factors usually stand in the way of deep family conversations. I really longed for the closeness of a long chat. The very next day our family was home together. A mild windstorm caused a localized power outage. And for one wonderful afternoon, my teenaged kids snuggled under a quilt with me and giggled as they had when they were little! Next, I told God that I hadn't felt close with my friends at church lately. With jobs and family, our lives seemed too busy to stay in touch beyond a friendly word at services. The following weeks, I had the opportunity to work on some projects with my church friends: a church variety show, the selection of a gift for local teens. I felt closer to them, and one of them mentioned to me over the phone, "I appreciate your friendship." Those were simple words. But they were exactly the words I needed to hear.

Finally, I asked God's blessing on the "prickly" church member. Don't get me wrong. I had prayed for him many times. But this time, I didn't ask God to help him see the error of his ways. I just asked God to bless him abundantly. Within weeks, we shared a conversation that was warmer than any we had had for many years.

These three prayers--all uttered the same day--were simple and unremarkable. What was remarkable was the rapid response, a little reminder from God that He hears and answers even the smallest prayers.

As if I'd had a visit from the Antiques Roadshow, suddenly, I saw many material things that had been consuming my time were simply fakes.

Even more important, prayer was transformed from the ordinary into the treasure it truly is.