For some reason, the things people say that hurt us seem to ring in our ears for years and years, and there's always just a little bit of sting left to them no matter how much time has passed. I remember so many things people have said that have hurt me, that I have taken to heart and believed as truth. I could list them off right now except I don't want to see them in writing where they will live forever. But for some reason, we never remember the compliments. And for that matter, we rarely even try to remember the compliments, while the hurtful comments seem to just magically appear in our brains.
Tonight I tried to remember special compliments I've received, and the truth is I had a hard time. Somehow it's just so much easier to believe the lies...maybe it's because I'm a woman and we're just better at it, or maybe it's human nature, or maybe the environments we typically surround ourselves in really are more negative than encouraging. Whatever it is, we could all do a better job of building each other up. Everyone needs to hear the real truth about themselves because most of the time, we won't look in the mirror and see it ourselves.
So I tried to remember some of the compliments that have always stuck out to me...not to toot my own horn by any means, but so the truth could be in writing and overcome the lies Satan uses to keep me discouraged and ineffective! So here's a couple:
*Once in college, a girl was explaining my uniqueness to me: "You are so awesome because you are 'one of the guys'; you are independent and tough and know things like how to use a jigsaw, and you could probably kick the butts of most of them here. But you are also so...so feminine, and...soft. Those two don't usually mix".
*From Ross: "Besides my mom, I've never met anyone who God spoke to so openly and clearly, and someone who obeyed him so instantly and completely." (that compliment is two-fold if you know Ross's high opinion of his mom!)
*From Amy: "If you were an inanimate object, you would be a pink hard hat. You ARE a pink hard hat!"
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2 comments:
Just a funny little thought... Your last compliment from Amy is going to be REAL funny! Oh how I am laughing so hard right now. I also want to say that as people we gravitate towards the hurtful comments that are said because we have to spend so much time dispelling them to ourselves. Where when we hear a compliment we never spend as much time reflecting on the truth if it. In fact our nature is to take the compliment and push it aside as if receiving a compliment is wrong. So it is in one ear and out the other, where as hurtful comments go in and stay in until we come to grips with it, or better yet, we turn it over to God!
So as for that the human mind is found in darkness on the edge of nothingness we wait and ponder what it is to be. floating on the outer rim of some deepened galaxy across the void of space we are alone found in waiting. Or so we think, or so is the great irony of our lives. In truth, in relative being, in lack of absolute question, this is us here and now not alone but found in Christ. In actuality we are the human race bond together by Giest or rather the spirit of man which flows through us like a river of love begotten and created and sustained by the Father above. We are all touched by each other yet we hide our yearnings, our desires masking our self contempt our want to be found. This is why we find insults in plenty and complements in lacking. So here is us on the raggedy edge waiting but not wanting... with courage we can find each other but only if we are found wanting. The question then is this are we looking to be found or are we content in void?
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