Tuesday, August 17, 2010

I is for Investing in People

If I cocoon myself - enjoy life from the comfort of my 4 walls, doing things that I enjoy or that entertain me - and neglect making time for going out with friends, I will become less.

The interaction with others helps define who I am.

If I look at only people's faults and reason's why they are different than me and reasons why we wouldn't be the best of friends, I will miss out.

Loving people in spite of their challenges, issues or quirks makes me a deeper person.

If I tell myself that I don't need friends, I am lying to myself.

Friends are worth the effort. 

If I never help in spite of it being an inconvenience, never grieve over someone else's sorrows, never offer myself as a possible solution, I am living only a fraction of the life I was given.

Helping makes my life fuller.

If I fail to see people as valuable, made lovingly by God and in his image, then I am disrespecting him.

I love God best by loving people.

4 comments:

Candice Plett said...

Carolyn, It's like you wrote this just for me. I've been struggling with this lately, trying to reclaim a love of people. Thank you for your insights. I love your blog.

Anonymous said...

I really like how you said that!!! Can I make use of this with one of my patients and share it with the other chaplains I work with? ~Heather V

Carolyn Ward said...

Candice - Great to hear from you! I wrote it just for me, because I find it way too easy to cocoon...

Heather - Share away!

:) Thanks for reading my thoughts.

Anonymous said...

You are truely the most wonderful Godly woman! And I am gratfule that you invest in me! (and many others too) I like the way you wrote this, it challenges me to do better. Although, you always do! Thank you for sharing your time and self (and often in my case, your food ;) with the rest of the world.

Lots of love, Brandie.