The “List”

The List 

Get a piece of paper and a pen. Now right down the answer to each one of these questions. 

You just found out your child is dying. Who do you call? 

You just found out your spouse is cheating on you. Who do you call? 

Your house just burned to the ground. Who rushes to be by your side and gives you a place to stay?

You just found out you have an incurable disease. Who do you call? 

Your broke down on the side of the road. Who do you call and know they will come help you? 

You’ve just been robbed. Your house is a mess. Who do you call and know they will come help you clean it up?

You find out your child has become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Who do you call to come and be your prayer partner and pray your child out of hell?

It’s Christmas and all your family has dispersed. Who invites you to come over and be with them so you will not be alone?

You should have a list of names by now. I hope you do. But you should have at least one or two.

This is your “list”.

Now, flip your sheet of paper over. Let’s go over the last seven days of your life… thirty days …. 365?  How often did you call those people? How often did you think of those people? How often did you call and ask them if they needed anything? When is their birthday? When is their anniversary?  Did you attempt to honor them in any way on those special days?  When was the last time you took them to lunch “just because”?  When was the last time you sent them a card “just because“?  How often do you text them in a week? Have you ever just, simply looked them in the eye, and thanked them or told them what they mean to you?  

We live in such a weird world. Our society is so fractured in so many different ways. Obviously, it’s because we have strayed so far from God but the idea of honor, respect and even gratitude seems to be completely foreign to our day-to-day living.

Things that used to be common place we now have to not only instruct soul to prioritize, but make effort to work into our thought processes and daily lives.

The people on your list deserve a lot of things. But they certainly deserve your time and attention from time to time.

“But you don’t know how they treated me…” Then take them off your list. If they are too flawed to be given your time or attention then don’t call on them when you need help. This is not a one-way street.

If you refuse to be considerate of them, but continue to use them when you need help … I don’t know what they did, but that’s worse. You’re just using them for your own selfish purposes. That’s just wrong.

Don’t dishonor yourself by dishonoring those that you should be honoring. Honor doesn’t mean you’re close friends. Honor doesn’t mean you have to be a part of their daily life and circumstances. Honor simply validates the person for what they have done or their position in your life.  Honor looks at the individual and finds a purpose greater than their flaws.

Isn’t that what Jesus did for us. How beautiful.

Maybe it’s just time for us to forgive anyone that’s let us down and give them another chance.

Maybe it’s just time to forgive ourselves.

Maybe it’s just time to focus on the good in these people we love and care about and try to ignore the rest.

I don’t think anybody neglects someone they care about on purpose. I don’t think you have neglected your “list” on purpose, if in fact you have.

But if you continue to do it after reading this, you will.

But, I have faith in you. God has faith in you. The people on your “list” certainly seem to have faith in you. Please don’t let us down.

💜

Epeshians 4:32 

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.