touching lives...
I had an interesting e-mail in my inbox tonight. It's from someone I know, but have never met if that makes any sense. I took something to heart from that e-mail, so I want to say this. I have no intention of reopening the lid on my dirty laundry hamper. It wasn't my intent. I knew someone was looking at my blog that maybe could benefit from my story. I think too that enough of it is out there that I don't need to revisit any of the who, where, when, why or how. The what is the truth and that's enough. I have a story to share and it's pretty easy to find my e-mail address and I think it's best to leave that at that. If I can help someone, I'm happy to suggest the name of someone that helped me. I'll repost the resource post. i deleted it by accident. I meant to delete a draft of a post I decided not to post,
What I want to talk about today is how we touch lives. I told you I don't know this person, but I've touched the person's life. I was thinking about that today. How did my actions touch my life, other lives? What was the impact on friends? I know this has touched just about every member of my family and the wife's family. What my selfishness did hurt more than just the people immediately involved. We were the drop in the water. The ripples will be felt for a long time.
What I wanted to do was help someone. Stop someone from being a fool like I was. I can do that without digging up the past. I don't need to put a dollar amount on the things I've done, nor do I need to go into vivid detail about what happened to whom. What I can say is that more than three people got hurt. Lives have been changed because of the choice I made. Many lives.
We touch people. Sometimes, people we don't even know. Hit someone's car, you can change their life. I lost my dog. That story was the beginning of my life changing in a way I never would have figured on. The person that found my dog touched my life, profoundly. I think it's important to recognize that as we proceed in life from day to day. I know I treat people so much better. I take the time to listen to people. When I ask "how are you", I stop and wait for a response. It's little things like that I notice.
If you need evidence we make a difference in each others' lives, let me ask you this: Have you ever had a bad day and someone made all the difference in the world that day by just a kind word? My wife has one of the most heartwarming and touching stories of how she and her mother not only touched someone's life, but may have actually SAVED that man's life. I hope she'll share it.
So what's the point? It's this: Our actions DO have consequences and far more than we can ever anticipate sometimes. Sometimes, those are positive. Sometimes, not so much. Our challenge is to make the not so much the exception, not the rule.
I want to add just one more thought before me, the jailbird dog, and the beagle hunker down for the evening. If me talking about the way God touched my life and if me telling you Jesus saved my life by forgiving my sins and giving me a new chance at a better life, somehow makes you uncomfortable, maybe it's time for you and I to have lunch and talk about WHY that makes you uncomfortable.
The message was Witness. It seems to me that that's what I've been doing, and will PROUDLY continue to do! That's what I can give anyone who will listen. That's how I can help! I can tell you that no matter what problem you're facing, God will listen. If you need help, get it, but don't leave God out of the loop. And if you're looking for a good book to read, why not read the Good Book? It can seriously change your life.
God bless,
Coop
What I want to talk about today is how we touch lives. I told you I don't know this person, but I've touched the person's life. I was thinking about that today. How did my actions touch my life, other lives? What was the impact on friends? I know this has touched just about every member of my family and the wife's family. What my selfishness did hurt more than just the people immediately involved. We were the drop in the water. The ripples will be felt for a long time.
What I wanted to do was help someone. Stop someone from being a fool like I was. I can do that without digging up the past. I don't need to put a dollar amount on the things I've done, nor do I need to go into vivid detail about what happened to whom. What I can say is that more than three people got hurt. Lives have been changed because of the choice I made. Many lives.
We touch people. Sometimes, people we don't even know. Hit someone's car, you can change their life. I lost my dog. That story was the beginning of my life changing in a way I never would have figured on. The person that found my dog touched my life, profoundly. I think it's important to recognize that as we proceed in life from day to day. I know I treat people so much better. I take the time to listen to people. When I ask "how are you", I stop and wait for a response. It's little things like that I notice.
If you need evidence we make a difference in each others' lives, let me ask you this: Have you ever had a bad day and someone made all the difference in the world that day by just a kind word? My wife has one of the most heartwarming and touching stories of how she and her mother not only touched someone's life, but may have actually SAVED that man's life. I hope she'll share it.
So what's the point? It's this: Our actions DO have consequences and far more than we can ever anticipate sometimes. Sometimes, those are positive. Sometimes, not so much. Our challenge is to make the not so much the exception, not the rule.
I want to add just one more thought before me, the jailbird dog, and the beagle hunker down for the evening. If me talking about the way God touched my life and if me telling you Jesus saved my life by forgiving my sins and giving me a new chance at a better life, somehow makes you uncomfortable, maybe it's time for you and I to have lunch and talk about WHY that makes you uncomfortable.
The message was Witness. It seems to me that that's what I've been doing, and will PROUDLY continue to do! That's what I can give anyone who will listen. That's how I can help! I can tell you that no matter what problem you're facing, God will listen. If you need help, get it, but don't leave God out of the loop. And if you're looking for a good book to read, why not read the Good Book? It can seriously change your life.
God bless,
Coop
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