Resistance

James and I have been considering the last few years since we started  to serve those with Hep-C.  If you want to do something significant there will be resistance. Maybe this will help.

1. Expect the worst. The day I changed my expectations of people was the day my world became light and easy. I expect people to behave poorly. I expect no one to show up. I expect people to be selfish, greedy, territorial and jealous. I expect and accept that people are going to judge me and my family for being different. I expect people to think poorly about how I raise and school my children. I am almost never disappointed or surprised. When people DO COME THROUGH and show up, cheer us on, and behave well we are very grateful.  (I know this sounds really cynical, but lowering your expectations of people wipes out almost all offenses.)
2. Gather people (a person) around you that will cheer you on.  Recruit 1 cheerleader.  This includes your Mom, Wife, Spouse. If you have 2 your blessed. Mine is my family. Kelsey, James, Kendell. They always have my back. They always say Im good. They believe in me. They tell me I did good enough. The critique me honestly. They love me and they love our mission. They laugh WITH me when I fail. If you can find ONE person outside your home that cheers you on, you’ve hit the lottery.
3. Be *that* person to others. Be an encourager, keeping in mind that you have been hurt horribly and want to change that for someone else. This is contrary to our eye for eye nature. “No on ever helped me, so I wont help others.” Dont allow the hurt to make you hard and closed. Let your pain motivate you to ease someone elses pain.
4. Embrace the haters. Open your arms up wide and embrace the people who are the hardest, meanest and most difficult. Its hard, but challenges build character and teach children who are watching. DONT BE BITTER. Just dont. Period. Go one step further than not being bitter and this is how to keep the resentment at bay… commit to lean into the poor behavior of others and to love on and serve those people. Ive practiced this, and Ive won some, and pissed some off even more. Some are impossible and necessary to hide from. Either way it keeps your heart clear to love your haters.
5. Stay focused on the client. In our case it Hep-C patients. If I have to redirect my mind 1000 times a day, I do. Its about the patients. Its about the yellow people. Its about the people who suffer and need a smile. Its about a mom whose kids need her to live a little longer. Its about a Veteran who needs to meet his grandchildren. Its about a drug addict who has let down every single person they know a million times, yet still needs compassion.
6. Celebrate the people who support you. I mean really celebrate. Pray for them. Love them. Buy them gifts. Tell them out loud they are 1 in a million. Keep them happy so they wont leave you. Value them like gold because they really are as rare and precious as gold.
7. Fail. Alot. If your not failing your not risking enough. Fail 27 times like Theodor Seuss Geisel who had his first book rejected 27 times. Dr. Seuss wrote the The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. Be a failure like Dr Seuss.
8. Gratitude.   Be intentional about joy and gratitude. Practice gratitude. Dont wait for it. Fight to be thankful. Fake it if you have to. Thats Biblical, you know? Let the weak SAY I am strong. Behave in a way that is thankful. Say out loud your blessings. You really do reap what you sow. When you are thankful for your little, you will be given more. When you are thankful and have absolutely NOTHING you will be blessed beyond measure.