One Of The Best Humans I Know

6.3.19—One Of The Best Humans I Know

I received a text today that surprised me. It said:

“You are one of the best humans I know.”

I won’t lie. Reading those words made me feel good. Knowing all of the not-so-good things that I think, say, and do, I have a hard time believing the statement. And yet, it feels good to know that someone thinks so highly of me that she has labeled me one of the best.

But that’s not all. The very next text said, “Top 3.”

Naturally, I wondered who the other two Top 3 people were, so I inquired to find out. When I did, I was truly humbled to be part of such a group.

On Saturday, three of the best humans that I know encouraged me to return to a place that changed me. For years, my dream was to work there and make its ministry my life. A few years ago, however, because of theological differences, I was asked to step away from my involvement with the ministry. The organization’s leader at the time told me, “It only takes one person to ruin an entire organization.” Evidently, that person was me, and so I was asked to leave. I did. But ever since, there has been a hole in my heart and a part of my spirit that has forgotten how to dream.

So going back Saturday was a big deal. Part of me wanted to go. The other part of me was afraid. Words are powerful weapons, and those weapons from years ago often still wound me. But I’m so glad that I went. Thanks to good humans, I was able to reconnect with old friends and walk sacred grounds where I once felt God’s presence more powerfully than anywhere in the world. Thanks to good humans, I was able to take one more step toward healing and letting go.

Who are the good humans in your life? Do you categorize them as such because of what they have done for you, because of the positive things they do for humanity, because of their nature and character, because of their faith, because of something else? If you had to make a list of your Top 3 “best” humans, then who would be on the list and why? Would you need to divide your list into periods of life—or increase it to 5, 10, or more?

I suppose that none of that really matters…as long as you’re simply thinking about the good humans in your life—as long as you’re remembering people who have made an impact on your existence—who still do—who have changed you for the better in some way—who have been God’s light to you in times of darkness. It’s easy to think about the “bad” humans—the ones who frustrate us—the ones who have hurt us—the ones who have squelched our dreams with their words. The “bad” people tend to often be topics of conversation in our lives. But what about the good ones? The ones who are best?

I want to challenge you to give your people a call this week, or, if you’re like me and don’t really like to talk on the phone, then send a text, or Facebook message, or, better yet, a real card/letter in the mail. Surprise them with the words that surprised me today: “You are one of the best humans I know,” and then tell them why. There is so much negativity in this world. So much hurt. So many differences that wound and separate. So much anger waiting to explode.

Yet just as three of the best humans I know encouraged me to take steps toward positive healing on Saturday, you, too, can encourage the people in your life with positive words. If it only takes one person to ruin an organization, then it only takes one person to change a life. Be that life-changer today. Be one of the best humans that you know.