May 17
Scripture: Rom 15:7
Source author: Janet Graham
May 17
Mining for a Heart of Gold Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. —Romans 15:7
My friend Andy was approaching me at the conference when he suddenly got a horrified expression and dashed into an unused conference room. I grinned as I realized what was happening. He’d noticed that Ilene was making a beeline straight for him. Andy was one of the most respected leaders in our field. And Ilene was one of the most obnoxious. She continually promoted herself, bragged, and tried to push her way among those she considered important. Andy was one of the kindest souls I’d ever known, but he just clearly couldn’t deal with Ilene. I greeted Ilene with the grin still on my face. For the first few years I’d known her, I reacted like Andy—avoiding her at all costs. But then somehow I began to get to really know her. I learned that beneath her bragging was a heart of gold. I learned to explore that heart more and focus on it when her words began to turn me off. Now I’d gotten to the stage where I could chat with Ilene and give her the praise and respect that she so desperately sought.
Sometimes when we mine a person’s life, we find a heart of gold beyond the crusty exterior. — Janet Graham —