Walking in Honor

What if we really honored the good in other people?  I have had both types of people in my life - the type that looks for good and encourages me that who I am is good, and the type that looks for faults and in "discernment" tells me that because of my "limitations" I am not going to be able to accomplish the dreams that I have.  To tell you the truth I have done the same thing to people.  I've made judgements and decided that because of how someone looks, or because of how someone talks, or because of someone's level of education that they are not as good as me.  It's really so sad that insecurity so often drives us to "cut the legs out" from under people and their dreams.

I was just speaking with a dear friend yesterday who is in their fifties who told me how heart broken he was because some of his friends had done that very thing to him. What if instead of exposing his weakness they had encouraged him and looked for his strengths?

All of these circumstances have worked in me the desire to look for good in others.  As I've been doing this I've realized that the very thing I have a hard time accepting in others is often something I see in myself that I don't like.  I've also noticed that as I walk in honor towards others I am so blessed by them.  I suddenly am able to learn things I never would have known because the person feels safe enough to be vulnerable and share their heart.

I'm learning so much about life.  At the end of the day all anyone wants is to be fully accepted and appreciated.  I have had so many people in my life who have seen the good in me and it has brought me to life.  I had someone sit across from me the other day and tell me they love that I am strong willed.  I began to cry because I've had so many other people not accept that part of me.  That encouragement allowed me to dream again about some things I had lost hope in.

I know that I am just learning to love but I'm so excited for this journey.  It may take my whole life, but I pray that by the end that there will be many people who say, "I felt like the best version of myself around Carrie because she truly loved me!"