I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them.- Bob Goff
Photo Credit: qthomasbower via Compfight
A few years ago I got a temporary job in a city that I had been planning to move to for so long. My brother suggested I stay in a hotel since it was a temporary job, but I knew I would get a permanent job soon, and I was ready to be on my own, so I ignored his advice got an apartment and moved to the city…
Three days later, the temporary job (which was supposed to last for at least a month), ended abruptly. There I was stuck with a brand new 12-month apartment contract, and no job. It was depressing…more so because I knew my brother would say “I told you so.” But when I finally got up the nerves to leave my sweltering apartment (ummm…yeah the AC is for people with jobs) and tell my brother about the situation, he never once said “I told you so.”
We spend so much time trying to fix people, trying to make them into whom we think they should be, trying to show them everything they did wrong…when really the best thing we can do for people is just to be there. Yes they’ll make mistakes, but we all do. Yes they’ll make decisions you wouldn’t, but that doesn’t make them wrong. Yes they’ll want your advice sometimes and reject your advice other times, and that’s okay.
I recently started reading “Love Does: Discover a secretly incredible life in an ordinary world” by Bob Goff*, and let me tell you that every chapter has left me thinking about how awesome God is, how much He loves me, and how glad I am that He’s sent me wonderful people to remind me of His love.
The book is full of Mr. Goff’s life experiences, struggling to get into law school, struggling to figure out what to do with his life, struggling to figure out who God is… and through it all I can’t help but smile.
The book is an easy read, but you’ll want to take your time with it, and let things marinate. I’m only halfway through the book and wanted to write a review after the first chapter…I’ll probably write another review when I’m done with the book…but in the mean time, I pray you realize how much God truly loves you and how valuable you are to him.
Do you have friends or family you can always turn to, and who never say “I told you so?” please share your story, and feel free to rate and share this book review.
*Thomas Nelson provided me with a free book to review
do yourself a favor and grab a copy.