There are times when I feel a little lonely. Friends have come and gone, and some I realized, were never really friends at all. Occasionally you learn that some people in your life have an agenda. They keep you close for some sort of personal gain. They have no real interest in who you are, what's in your heart, or your friendship. It's all about what you can do for them. And when they find that you aren't helping them in ways they thought you would, you are no longer a friend.
I assume that one of the reasons I have seemed to have so many of these "friends" in my life is because I'm somewhat naive. I always assume that friends will think of you and treat you the way you treat them. I have underlying assumptions that because you think and speak kindly of them, it will be reciprocated. Unfortunately, this isn't always true, and this continues to be a lesson I'm continually learning.
I'm far from perfect and I never will be. But I do try to live my life encouraging and lifting others up, yet I continue to see so many women who don't. So many grown women who tear each other down, and they find fault at each wrong move. I know we are all guilty of jealousy at times, I've been there. But I'm always praying that God keeps that in check. I'm always praying that he puts wonderful Christian friends in my life that help keep me accountable. And my husband does a great job of helping me as well.
I'm learning that when I am myself, I become a little more vulnerable to being judged and spoken unkindly of...and the reason for this is, I'm NOT perfect. I tend to lay myself out there, flaws and all. I'm one of those people, "What you see is what you get". I don't suck up, I don't try to impress, I don't act a certain way to get people to like me. I am who I am.
I want my daughters to learn to be this. I want them to learn to love themselves, to be who they are, to not care what others think and say about them. I want Ainsley and Halle to learn that being who God made you to be is exactly who He wants you to be. He created both of them with unique personalities, abilities, talents, and even quirky behaviors.
We are all so different, we each have different talents, abities, personalities, and yep, even quirky behaviors. But we were all created for a purpose...to
Love God, love people, and serve both.
Why are we so quick to tear someone down instead of lifting them up? Next time someone asks you about another girl, be the one who speaks highly of her, who lifts her up in encouragement and love. Everyone I know has something good in them, sometimes you just have to search a little harder to find it. There are a lot of people who have walls built up because of these exact reasons. They have met too many people wanting to tear them down.
This world has enough people who want to tear others down, be a light and lift others up! Encourage someone today, love them, send a text, a note, an actual letter in the mail. Whatever you decide to do, let's do it together! Let's be the next generation of encouragers, the next generation of women who truly love one another!
"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT)