Real Life Real Faith Wisdom for Everyday Life July/ August | Page 24

HONOR
By Scott T. Barker

The more you honor those around you today, the more the Lord will bless you tomorrow.
It’s absolutely true. The more you honor your family, friends, co-workers, colleagues and the
random person you encounter today or tomorrow, that random act of kindness will be
returned to you ten-fold. The importance of honoring someone is simply this: when you honor
someone, you also honor yourself.
You may think you don’t have the time to say, “God bless you,” to a stranger when they
sneeze, but you do. Those few words only take a second to be spoken and will also make the
other person feel as if someone cares. It’s a wonderful thing to see a person’s face light up
with a smile of thanks after you have honored them!
One of the most sincere gestures on earth to show honor and praise for another originated
in Japan. The media, movies, comedians and others have often made fun of this simple yet
amazing gesture of kindness most likely because they never took the time to understand it. By
clasping the right fist with the left hand and bowing to the other person, the Japanese person
is showing you that they “Honor the Sprit and Soul in you.” I find this to be a great show of
honor on a daily basis.
Many people have commented to me over a number of years that they just don’t know how
to honor someone. That is primarily because they were not raised to honor others or in some
cases they are just embarrassed, wondering what others may think of them for doing what is
right. So, in the following text, I will list a number of things you can say to people that will show
them you honor and respect their presence in your life. Most of you already know the words,
but just maybe you haven’t put them together yet. Now, on to the list of things you can say to
show honor and respect for God, your parents, loved ones and others around you that you
encounter every day.
Thank you, Thank you so much, I care about you, I understand, You mean the world to
me, You made me who I am today, Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, You’re the
greatest, You are one of a kind, I love your smile, You look great in that outfit, You’re a
beautiful person, You look handsome, Your perfume/cologne smells wonderful, I love the
way you talk to me, I could stare into your eyes forever, Thanks for your support, You’re a
great mother/father/friend/sister/brother/etc., You always know what to say, You make my
life brighter, My soul shines around you, I love having you in my life, I adore you, I admire
you, You are my best friend, Life is brighter with you in it, You are my guiding light, I love the
way you make me laugh, It’s my pleasure, I appreciate you, I look forward to thanking you in
person, If anyone deserves thanks, it’s you, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, You
have my sincere thanks, You’re worth your weight in gold, I respect you, I look forward to
seeing you again, Thank you so much for your help, You’re always there when I need you,
Thank you for being there for me, I’ll always be here for you, You can count on me, I knew I
could count on you, Thanks for thinking of me, Thanks for what you did, You mean so much
to me, You’re the best, You make me feel so good, You are so intelligent, You are so smart,
Congratulations, Happy Birthday, May God be with you always, God Bless You, You are an
angel, You’re my guardian angel, I couldn’t have done it without you, You made all the