Happy Friday Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day!
So, I stayed up later last night than I wanted, didn't wake up as early as I wanted today and I have been losing a fight with my computer this morning! Ever have a day start like that?!?! Not going to let these circumstances determine my day...I am determining that this is going to be a great day! There is so much hope, opportunity and potential out there...even if I hate my computer! :)
This week I had a friend talk about what a person sees or doesn't see in their lives. It really has had me thinking about what we look for in our day to day lives. I am not talking strictly about the vision we have with our eyes but the vision we have with our hearts, our souls, our spirits as well.
You know, it is really not hard to see the bad in others. We are all flawed, broken people. We are all doing the very best we can with what we have wherever we are on this day, however we are limited by our individual experiences, knowledge, wisdom, courage, etc. The less we understand this, the more certain we are that we aren't flawed, we aren't broken and that we have all the answers the more readily apparent our flaws, our brokenness and how clueless we are becomes to others. Think about it Friends, you can pick any person you know and quite quickly come up with a flaw, a quirk, something that they do or believe that you don't agree with. Truly, it is not hard at all...one of the easiest things you and I can do.
What I would like to focus on this morning, what I would like to challenge us all to do, is to take the harder road, to truly see the greatness, the goodness, the potential in others. I do get that some can make this very difficult with their attitudes - I promise you that someone, somewhere feels the exact same way about you and I! - however I also get that we will find what we are looking for. If we look for fault, failure, flaw we will find it just like we will find greatness, goodness and great potential if we will intentionally look for it. You know how it makes you feel good, warms your heart - even on the darkest of days - to know that you have a God who loves you unconditionally, that there is a plan, there is meaning and there is purpose for your life? I hope & pray that you and I will be mindful that this applies to everyone - regardless of the flaws, faults, brokenness, etc. that we easily, thoughtlessly see.
In doing some research about this - yes, I actually do some research for these Happy Friday's! - I came across an article on the PrayWay Global Prayer Community webpage (www.prayway.com) appropriately titled, "Seeing Others The Right Way" which was written on August 18, 2009. It offered these three nuggets of wisdom:
(1) Always be willing to give someone a second chance. After all, that's what God does for you. Now in extending grace you can get hurt and disappointed, but if you're going to be Christ-like it's a risk you must take.
(2) Don't measure everybody else by your standards and goals. The truth is, they may not be called to do what you're called to do. Or they may have been called to do it in a different way. Don't make your personal preferences a precondition for loving, accepting and working with someone.
(3) When you look for the best in others you usually find it. The Bible says,"...We have this treasure in earthen vessels..." (2 Cor 4:7).
I also wanted to offer up a couple of quotes to you this morning and let them speak to your heart however they will:
"We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." - Sam Keen
"Watch your thoughts, for they become your words.
Watch your words, for they become your actions.
Watch your actions, for they become your habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." - Unknown
Please join me Friends in accepting the challenge of traveling the harder road; let's look for the greatness, for the goodness, for the potential in others. I am quite certain we will find great joy, peace and the fulfillment of our life purposes on this road.
Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for any of you or your families. I am truly willing to help you any way I can.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families!
Kev
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