My mom used to say…in order to keep someone down…

My mom used to say…in order to keep someone down…

You have to stay down

I thought about that this morning…as I often do…

In thinking about some of the wisdom that my parents shared

In my young opinion, I may not have needed that message at the time

Or may not have even fully understood or interpreted it correctly

But oh, if you just keep on saying ‘Good Morning’ as the elders would say

You will see some things…you thought you’d never see

Get through some things…you could never have predicted

Forgive some things…you declared you never would

So, this morning, as I unpacked this parable that my mom used to say…

This is what flowed through my heart…Omgoodness, how true her words were…

We can’t talk anyone down…without talking ourselves down

We can’t hold anyone back…without staying back

We can’t restrict anyone’s ability to move or to do…without restricting our own

We can’t hurt someone else…without hurting ourselves

We can’t impact someone else’s life…without it impacting ours

And so in turn…

When we talk someone up…we talk ourselves up

When we encourage someone forward…it moves us forward

When we allow others the freedom granted to them…we can enjoy our own

When we help others…we help ourselves

Our lives have impact…seen and unseen

What we do and who we are…matters…for generations

My mom is no longer on this side of Glory…but her wisdom sure is

Years later…her wisdom still resides in me

You can try keeping someone else down through words and/or deeds

But you give up a significant amount of time…and even respect…doing so

And because time is our life…we really don’t have that kind of time to waste

God has better and more for us to do

I started with wisdom from my mom…and will end with the same

She didn’t waste words…they were always purposeful

She’d say…if you can’t help someone…leave them alone…don’t hurt them

May your week be filled with Purposeful assignments and as you look back at the end of it…

My prayer is that you will not be able to remember how many or all…that you helped up

But they will remember…even those that don’t know who you are…

They will remember the impact of your presence