You will bring God glory when you accept and welcome one another as partners, just as the Anointed One has fully accepted you and received you as his partner. Romans 15:7 The Passion Translation

“Come on, sweetie. You can do it!” said my Dad affectionately. “You just need to accept that the water will hold you and you will not sink.”

Dad was teaching me to float. We had tried to learn in a swimming pool but every time he would remove his arms from underneath me, I started to panic. When my body tensed up, I would start to sink.

“Here… watch me,” he said as taking a deep breath he simply seemed to recline on the water.

“Let’s try this one more time. I will come here beside you and even though you don’t feel them, my hands will be right here ready to lift you up when you need it. I’m not going anywhere.”

That’s how I learned to float. It was the simple acceptance that Dad was there to lift me should I need his help. At the same time, he did not allow me to cling to him in fear.

Much like my Heavenly Father, Dad wanted me to learn to do the difficult things and trust. The joy he felt when I made progress was absolutely contagious. We became partners in body surfing in the warm tropical waves in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Honor Keys

When you prepare to honor someone it is important to find the right words and stories about them. Why not start with the stories first? I love to mindmap and find that helps me. Put the person’s name in the middle then draw lines coming from that name. What memories pop up immediately? For some this can be difficult because of painful memories. Don’t give up. Keep processing until you find the one that you want to focus on. Once there, ask yourself what words define what that experience meant to you?

Active Definition

Acceptance is receiving another person willingly and unconditionally, especially when the other’s behavior has been imperfect. This character quality shows willingness to continue to love another in spite of their weakness and perceived offenses.

Wording

Thank you for always accepting me both at my best and at my worst. I will never forget the time that __________________________ (give a specific example). At that moment, I felt loved, affirmed and excited to go for the future God designed for me. You continue to love me no matter how many times I mess up. I can see that you get that ability from the love of our Heavenly Father.

This is day one of a 31 day writing challenge. Click here for more inspiration on how to honor your loved ones.

Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through. To increase hope and improve relationships with yourself and those that you love, check out her Facebook page – The Power of Hope. Karen’s third book on hope – The Power of Hope for Caregivers: Honor the Ride will be released on 11.20.18.