Help

"When a person is down in the world, an ounce of help is better than a pound of preaching."
- Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

Throughout this time away from Robert, I have learned quite a many lessons. Each of them are valuable. They are tucked away in my heart, because I do not want to ever forget any one of them.

Among these lessons, I have been taught to love myself through it all. Because in the end, if I do not love myself, nobody else will ever be able to supply enough love to fill me up.

For some strange reason, it seems as though people who have never even been in the position I am in have the "best" advice for me. They come to me with words of "encouragement." (I put quotation marks around these words because....well, honestly, I am being a little snarky about them.)

It still amazes me that it is so easy for people to bark out directives and give input on matters they know nothing about. I know people mean well. And don't take me wrong--I appreciate the thought.

"Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose." - Proverbs 18:21

There comes a time, though, when one must stop and think before speaking. Are your words really helpful? Do they uplift the person that you are speaking them to? Are they filled with life, or are they just vain words, spoken in a moment of haste?

Sometimes a kind deed, a phone call, or a simple card just to say, "I'm thinking about you," goes a lot further than a lot of words that have no weight or meaning. The next time you feel yourself getting ready to "preach" to someone who is down, remember this little piece of advice. Think before you speak. Pray before you speak. Ask God for His wisdom and guidance on how you can help that person. Like the above quote states, an ounce of help is better than a pound of preaching.