YOURS FAITHFULLY
AFEW weeks ago my uncle died of coronavirus. When I heard that he was dying it hit me very deeply. I was suddenly aware of the impact he’d had on my life and what he meant to me, in a way I never had before.
I am so thankful my cousin gave us the opportunity to send messages through her to my uncle in his last hours. I was able to express my thanks and honour to him of who he was as a person and for what he had done for me.
There was one particularly big circumstance many years ago that had impacted me immensely, but other than that it was the seemingly small and insignificant things that meant so much. Things you don’t notice until they’re not going to be there anymore.
It shouldn’t be this way, but it was only on realising I was going to lose him, that I could feel the depth of what he’d done for me, and that I needed to thank and honour him for it.
This experience has changed something in my heart and made me see that I want to express honour as a way of life.
I knew when I gave honour to my uncle that he wasn’t perfect, that he had his flaws too. But which one of us is without flaws anyway?!
The Bible says honour is due to everyone, which means it’s due to flawed people too. Even those who have disappointed us, hurt us, let us down, or just been ordinary.
Giving honour doesn’t mean that we overlook what is wrong, but we should never lose our value for what is good in a person, or lose our respect for someone’s worth just because they have flaws.
Jesus valued us all, enough to die for us in our worst state, not our best.
I can see clearer now that there have been many times, with many people, when I have lost respect for them.
In all cases it was because those people were, to me, at fault in some way.
But now I am increasingly aware that, no matter what people do, it doesn’t give me the right to act dishonouringly towards them, to disrespect them.
No matter how hard that is to do.
I’ve seen the importance of honouring before. There are some people in my life who my husband and I regularly honour in various ways.
That’s because we’ve seen that their ongoing investment and role in our lives should have ongoing honour.
But through this experience with my uncle, I’m now aware there are many other people I want to intentionally honour because of the impact they have had on my life.
Indeed, just a few days after my uncle’s death, with this new desire to express honour fresh in my heart, I saw that Mother’s Day gave me an opportunity to take
‘ The Bible says honour is due to everyone, which means it’s due to FLAWED PEOPLE too. Even those who have DISAPPOINTED us, hurt us, let us down, or just been ordinary
’ another step, so I texted my son’s godmothers to thank them for being such wonderful godparents to him.
It might have been a small, simple act of value, but I know I wouldn’t have thought to do it last year.
What people give to us is of great value and likely cost them something to give it, whether that be their time, love, acceptance, kindness, knowledge, skill, money, or care.
Despite the risk of getting hurt, having people in our lives is an incredible blessing.
We need them. But so quickly, those same people will soon be gone.
In whatever way we can, while they are still with us, we should look to see the good in others and give honour and respect to all those to whom it’s due.