I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast!
Did you realize that this day, this moment, is one that has never been touched before? There is no success or failure in this moment...yet! Of course you & I know this to be true however are we living this truth? Let's thrive through this day!
I once heard it said that knowledge is the learning you do by going through something and wisdom is what you gain by hearing & seeing what others go through. My heart this morning is to share some wisdom with you.
I have been in a little bit of a funk lately. I didn't really realize it until I had a "Come to Jesus" moment - literally! :) - on Tuesday night. Earlier in the day I had been in a meeting where I pointed out something that was written, stating how it could be perceived as negative or a slam against the work of others, when a dear colleague of mine said, "or it could mean you are being too sensitive." She was right, I was wrong and I, wisely, didn't say anything. That night, as I was laying in bed and talking with Jesus about my day and, specifically, about that moment I felt a conviction of the Holy Spirit - "You are projecting your feelings on others." It may not sound all that profound to you but to me it was. It was an awareness - that is powerful as once we are aware we can change - and it was also a call to action...to not only change what I was projecting but also to apologize to those to whom I felt I was projecting things onto that I didn't want to be projecting. So, the next day I went to a colleague and apologized to her for something else I had said the day before - I must have been on some kind of roll...and I don't mean a good one! :) - and then yesterday I apologized to a group of colleagues. I didn't try to explain or justify, I just apologized. Praise God, in all situations, my colleagues looked at me like I was crazy, stating I didn't need to apologize and in fact, questioned what in the world I was talking about. Not often you get to see the mercy & grace of God in action! :)
So what we really have here is a conviction of the Spirit that was telling me I was in dangerous territory. I was not projecting who I am or what I want to be projecting, I was projecting frustrations, struggles, etc. Though it wasn't to the point that others were seeing or hearing it, it was enough that my heart felt it...and that is much more important! It was a guardrail bumping me back onto the road of faith, not allowing me to fall into the gutter of worry, fear, regret, doubt, etc. Again, Praise the Lord!
A scripture & a quote for you:
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." - Proverbs 4:23
"An entire sea of water can't sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can't put you down unless you allow it to get inside you." - Goi Nasu
Just as a movie projector shows on the screen the film that runs through it, so our lives show what is running through our hearts. I pray we will take Proverbs 4:23 to heart...literally! :)
I also want to share a few nuggets with you from the Focus on the Family broadcast from yesterday morning. The hosts were speaking with author and Pastor, Gary Thomas. The talk was titled, Discovering God's Plan For Your Parenting. A few pieces of wisdom that spoke to my heart and I thought ya'll might find them meaningful as well.
Gary was talking about the importance of listening to our children - the things I am sharing also apply to spouses, partners, parents, friends, co-workers...everyone! :)
"They will receive curiosity as an act of love."
Ever been listening to someone tell you something and your demeanor, tone & look communicate, "hurry up so I can get back to what I was doing?" Yeah, me too. The point here is to truly be interested in what they are telling you. Being curious, saying "tell me more," or asking questions about what they are saying communicates love to them. Please think about it...
"If something matters to them it should matter to me."
"It's not so much what is being said as who said it."
Boom! This is the key, right here! It is not what my Beautiful Bride or Tender Warriors are telling me so much as it is them - my highest earthly purpose & calling...please think about that! - that is telling me and thus, whatever it is it is critically important. It's not about the message but the messenger! If it matters to them it should matter to me enough, because of who they are, that I give them my full, undivided attention.
"It's how people feel loved."
You ever try to tell someone something and you knew they weren't listening to you? Yeah, we have all been there as well. Didn't feel very good, did it? Now, has anyone every said something like, "Sit down and tell me about you?" Remember how valued & appreciated you felt in that moment. I pray that we have all experienced that feeling...it is amazing.
I am not trying to be all Pollyanna on ya'll this morning. I get life is hard, we get busy, there are timelines and deadlines, etc. However, I pray that we will have a heart and when needed, a conviction, to truly listen to the people in our lives. It is after all how they feel loved! :)
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families!
Kev
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