Love Thy Neighbor

I gazed at all the faces again as I realized that they all had contributed to my becoming a Christian or had encouraged me in my  growth as a believer .

excerpt from 90 Minutes In Heaven . 

The same thing happened now as it did almost eight years ago . That darn book that I started reading back then out of sheer boredom , was holding my attention once more . I couldn't just read through the chapter , but had to put it down and think . . . . . and think I did  . 

Who would meet me in Heaven ? Who would be the first person to walk up and embrace me ? Would I be surprised by the people that made it to Heaven ? How about the ones who didn't ? 

I am aware of the impact the people around me have on my life , but do I know of my impact on theirs ? 

We go about our daily life unaware of how we affect the people around us . How many times have I ruined someone's day by rude , careless , tactless and hurtful words ? Have I ever changed a person's life for the worse , because of my behavior towards them ? 
I think that would be the hardest to bear . 

I walk around thinking I'm encouraging others , especially women , but I know that I can be  insensitive and hurtful at times . We really don't see all the cracks and flaws in the mirror . If we do , we  make excuses for them . 

I remember the hurts that were thrown my way, but most of all , I remember believing them  . I remember how hard it can be to get over them . If only we paid more attention to how we speak to each other . 

I want to bring people to Christ by my actions , not drive them in the opposite direction . Sometimes we need a reality check into our behavior . None of us are perfect people in nature , but we need to be as close as we can in the way we interact with others . 

So the next time we offend another person , please Lord , provide us with the courage to say " I'm sorry ".

Have a Blessed day everyone .