Lots or people think they’re a good person, but… um… no. They’re pretty lousy. What is a good person? I know people who say: “I’m good to my family and friends, so I’m a good person.” Wow, big accomplishment; you’re good to people you like. And apparently we have two different ideas of good because you yell a lot. In writing this, I’m not claiming that I’m a good person; I certainly have evidence that would suggest otherwise. For me, there is one person no one has ever dared to deny is a good person, my Hope. I’ve even been told a few times that she’s a Saint and an angel. Fittingly, her name is Hope. The only other name that would suit her would be Grace, or “Good-Person” but that would be a terrible name: “Is Good-Person David here? Is your son, Not-So-Good David, here as well?”
Here is a list of qualities that make Hope such a good person. Give yourself a rating from 0-10 with 0 being ‘couldn’t be worse’ and 10 being ‘couldn’t be better’. Hope scores pretty high in all of these categories. Me? Um, let’s focus on Hope today shall we?
- Listener: Hope is an incredible listener always offering interest and empathy. She also makes time to listen, and encourages you to share because she asks engaging questions.
- Laugher: Always quick to laugh, Hope brings joy wherever she is.
- Safety: On top of laughing, she’s an incredibly safe person. You don’t have to worry about being judged or condemned, which helps you feel free to joke and share personal things.
- Assumes the Best: What helps safety is her ability to assume the best in people. Most of us are quick to feel attacked when something happens while Hope’s reaction is “I’m sure they didn’t mean it,’ or “Are you okay?”
- Has an Opinion: Despite providing a sense of safety, Hope also has an opinion. She isn’t so passive that people take advantage of her or she always complies. She has a firm stance on her beliefs, especially her faith, but she’s also very good at listening to what you have to say. Many people seem safe, but they lack conviction, which is really just weakness. Having beliefs helps balance this.
- Doesn’t Complain: Even when she’s sick she doesn’t complain; she’s incredible.
- Appreciates: Instead of complaining she sees the good in all things.
- Content: Her thankfulness helps her be content, which ultimately adds to her happiness.
- Self Reflective: Largely through her prayer life, Hope is very good at self reflecting and making sure she is thinking and acting as she believes is proper. Actually, her faith and prayer life help her do most of these things that she’s so good at. She proves the benefits of prayer even beyond asking God for things; it helps us grow our emotional well being.
- Apologizes: If Hope ever gets a hint that she’s said or done something she shouldn’t she is very quick to apologize and make sure you’re okay. This ability is all the stronger because of her self-reflection and prayer.
- Generous: Some people think they’re generous because they give big Christmas or birthday gifts, but Hope is continually looking for ways to give, and not only with those she loves. She’s the first to donate to a charity or make a meal and drop it off for someone in need whether she really knows them or not.
- She Uses Her Talents: Part of her generosity stems from her desire to use her talents. She doesn’t like to be idle; she’s actively looking for ways to be involved and help others with the gifts with which she’s been given.
- Socially Involved: Some people are happy because they hide, but Hope is involved in a number of organizations, and even visits with a few people she worries might be lonely.
- Self Care: Whether it’s stretching and exercising so she’s more physically capable of doing things, enjoying hobbies that help her relax, or choosing to only be friends with good people, Hope is excellent at taking care of herself. Good people don’t set themselves up for failure by burning themselves out; they make sure to take care of themselves too.
- Clean & Organized: This is probably the weirdest one on the list, but her cleanliness represents how clean her heart is. She isn’t OCD about it, but she has a standard. Plus, being clean and organized helps her be more capable of helping others because her life is in good order. Being organized follows the same benefit: Because her needs are met, she doesn’t have to rely on others for help, and has more time to help those who need it.
This week may you pick one of these qualities and strive to improve it. For me the biggest challenge will be picking just one.
Rev Chad David, www.ChadDavid.ca, Learning to love dumb people