to bless & honour

to bless & honour

September 22nd 2012

 

“ L o v e    p r o d u c e s   l i f e   i n   o t h e r s . ”

I learned this catchy little combination of words in my counseling school, except in Spanish but lucky for you I’m a pretty good translator these days.  I love this truth, and I’ve been thinking about it’s importance lately.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I forget how much impact everything I do has on other people.  Because humanity truly is inter-connected… and my own actions have an undeniable effect on others.  My sister has staunchly refused to eat any non-fair-trade chocolate for years, because she knows that by purchasing Nestle or Hershey or almost every other brand, that she would be supporting child-slavery or at the very least child-labour in many of West Africa’s cocoa fields.  (http://www.thedarksideofchocolate.org)  I admire that about her.

It’s the little things we do though that I’ve been pondering as of late, little things like the manner in which we communicate with others, what we say with our mouths, what we express with our faces.  Words are so powerful, and they can be used like a weapon: to tear down, or they can be used more like a plowshare: to cultivate life.  Like my little girls in Mexico used to say, “Tu boca tiene poder!”  Your mouth has power.  Here’s another quote from Chile:

“Every interaction we have with someone should r e f l e c t  t h e  i n t r i n s i c  v a l u e  of that person.”

We’ve been asked to love God and love each other, and as the beginning of this post says:

” L o v e    p r o d u c e s   l i f e   i n   o t h e r s . ”

I met someone recently and our interaction evoked in me many sentiments, none of them pertaining to life.  And our time together actually made me feel so awful that I went to God afterwards with a whole lota tears goin’ on.  Amidst processing with Him/Her (yep I’m throwin’ that in there… which I will definitely regret later but you know, God is genderless, right? WE are made in God’s image and maybe, just maybe, by always calling God Him we miss out on understanding a part of who God is.  I could be wrong, and I know that, but let’s have a conversation about it, no?  Because maybe just maybe “God is more than two men and a bird.” ) Anyway.. we were processing how I was feeling and I pleaded with the LORD “please don’t ever let me make anyone feel like this..”  because I know that I have, and if I’ve ever made you feel like anything less than a beautiful, appreciated, person.. I am so sorry.  Something God reminded me of last night is that it is out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34b) so when I remember times that I’ve hurt others it really makes me realize what was going on in my own corazón.  That’s heart, btw.. and yes I am secretly trying to teach y’all Spanish through this blog. = )

Entonces… (So) … I guess I’m writing this because I just want to really truthfully ask myself, and challenge you to honestly ask yourself:  “What do I produce in others?”  Peace?  Joy?  Insecurity?  Fear?

Let’s make the most out of every opportunity to b l e s s  &  h o n o u r  (yeah you know that “u” is for you Lisheeta) one another.  To love in a kind of way that gives life.  Amen?  Okay, Amen.

somehow.. I think it fits.  I’m not sure exactly how but I think it does… haha.