When Jesus said, 'Love each other,' the Greek word for 'love' used has a sense of self-sacrificing nurture. Think of a mother and her child: her love is constant and her greatest desire for her child is to thrive. You say, 'Isn't this the kind of love people should get at home, not from me?' Truth is, beneath the façade, some people in your life desperately need to be nurtured. And they'll be influenced most by those who make them feel best about themselves.
One leader writes: 'Many people are very close to my heart because they believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. They listened to me without condemnation and loved me unconditionally, even when I wasn't very lovable. Without them, I wouldn't have possessed the hope I needed to keep pursuing my dream.' Now, you can't be like the little girl who came home from church and announced, 'I want to be like the man who stood up in the pulpit today.' Delighted, her mum said, 'You want to go into the ministry?' 'No,' she replied, 'I want to tell people what to do!' Hello! Some of us want to be authority figures so we can correct people and give them our so-called 'constructive criticism'. Most folks don't need a critic, they need a cheerleader. When you nurture them, they will welcome you to speak into their life - and they will listen.
Goethe said, 'Correction does much, but encouragement does much more.' So think encouraging words and speak encouraging words. 'Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad' (Proverbs 12:25 NKJV).
Everyone has beaten me to the shower this morning. I have to be out of here in half an hour and all i can do is sit here and wait for the bathroom to become free. If i want to beat my teenagers to the bathroom in the morning - i have to be up at like 5am.
I need two bathrooms.
I'm tired. T has an assignment due tomorrow and stayed up until 1 am working on it. For some reason - i thought it would be a good idea to wait up for him. I think i made it til about midnight.
I can't survive on 6 hours sleep.
I think i might die today.
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4 comments:
Isn't it odd how sometimes you read something that is timely and pertinent to your situation.
I've spent much of the last month shrieking at my bright, but incredibly lazy son, whose grades have been falling. And even whilst doing it, knowing it's ineffective and damaging.
"Most folks don't need a critic, they need a cheerleader"...how very true, and something I expressed here only a few days ago in regard to you.
As you often say Jackie, I really needed to read that one today.
Thank you. On behalf of my throat and my sons ears!
You know what Suz? In my rush to get out the door this morning - I didn't even read today's reading.
In between lectures just now - thanks to you- I read it.
It was also one that I needed to read - so than Thank YOU! X
No...thank you Jackie for your wonderful and thought-provoking blog. And this is from an Atheist :)
Thanks for that comment Suz. It is a welcome change to read something like that as opposed to some of the comments that i have had of late.
I have always thought that there was something positive to take away from the advice in these readings - regardless of our religious beliefs.
There have been times over the past few days that i have seriously considered just quitting the blog. I don't have the time, energy, vindictive nature, negativity, or hate in me to be bothered with my psycho stalker and her attentions.
My focus needs to be on my studies and part of me has just thought bugger it - let her win - who cares...
I am not going to do that though. I know for a fact that my blog has helped people and continues to do so on a daily basis. I know this because of the emails that i receive thanking me.
I am going to continue to prove that there is always hope and so much is possible no matter what mistakes a person has made or how far down a dark road they have gone. There is always a U turn option and i am going to continue to prove that.
My psycho can do what she likes. She can spend as much money as she wants, and instead of getting help for her terminal unhappiness - she can spend all her energy on me - and on hunting down anyone that i might have known in my past. That is her issue not mine and like i said - i have nothing to lose.
I will stop blogging when it has a negative impact on my studies. Until then - it stays.
x
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