Be the first to greet

I read God's words in Heavenletters™ many times, and I nod my head. Of course, what God says is right.  Just the same,  chances are that I haven't fully caught onto what God is saying, for God goes deep.

In Make Your Own Footsteps, Heavenletter #2344 http://www.heavenletters.org/make-your-own-footsteps.html ,

God said:

"Be the first to greet. Through greeting, you unite. Be the first. Reach out your hand. Offer something of yourself."

It took me some time before I absorbed the meaning.

This is exactly what Heaven Admin does. He greets first. He and I first met over the internet, and, from thousands of miles away in Argentina, Heaven Admin greeted me first, offered his hand to me again and again until I finally understood he wanted to help with Heavenletters. And has he ever!

Now I'm learning more about greeting from Stephen. You may remember I first met Stephen the minute I entered a friend's home for a party. Stephen was a guest, and he got up from his chair and came to where I was standing at the door, and said: "I'm Stephen," and he held out his hand to me.

Ah, this is greeting first. It is coming out of your chair and acknowledging the presence of another.

There is more to being the first to greet than I had seen at first glance, however. I discovered more when Stephen and I met for tea at the 2nd Street Cafe.

Before I tell you what I learned from Stephen at the 2nd Street Cafe, let me go over a few recent scenes in my life.

The night before Stephen and I met for tea, I had been at someone's birthday party at the Family Buffet, a Chinese Restaurant. A couple came in late, not to stay, but simply to say hello. This is a couple I know and like. I waved to them. They smiled and waved back. Come to think of it, I was a little disappointed that they didn't come over and talk to me. But it had not occurred to me to get up and go over to them!

Now, getting back to Stephen at the 2nd Street Cafe, I arrived before Stephen did. I found a booth for us. As I was taking my jacket off, I saw Kathy, a lady I used to know. She was sitting by herself. I smiled and waved at her, and she did the same.

As soon as Stephen came in, he and I went right up to the counter. When he saw Kathy, he smiled and waved at her, and then said to me: "Excuse me for a minute. I want to say hello to someone. I'll be right back." And he went up to Kathy who was sitting in a booth by herself and talked to her for a minute or two.

I learned then and there that being the first to greet covers more territory than I had realized. Stephen took initiative. He did not wait. He went forth and extended himself. He gave someone else the gift of being recognized. He made someone else important for a moment or two. I learned this is not a little thing but a big thing, and I sadly realized that in my life, I have always waited for someone to acknowledge me first.

I had never had the courage, consideration, or kindness to get up and move toward someone. I further realized that this lack was a lack of acknowledgment of my own self-worth. It wasn't about the other person at all. It seems to me that I had never thought I was important enough to get up and greet someone first. It hadn't occurred to me that such a gesture from me would make anyone glad, and, so, I lacked initiative.

Stephen, born deaf, never waited for anyone to hand him anything. He made his own way in life. No one encouraged him to become a motivational speaker. No one even said it was possible. Stephen pulled himself up by his bootstraps.

In a sense, being born deaf, was the making of him. He turned what would be considered an obstacle into a strength. He had to have get-up and go. He had to take the bull by the horns.

Yes, Stephen is the man he made himself to be. And, yet, he is not who he is because he was born deaf. Had he been born with super hearing, a silver spoon in his mouth, had he been born with every advantage in the world, he would still be the person he is. Yes, he made his deafness into a strength. Stephen is wonderful, but he is not wonderful because he turned what everyone would call a disability into a strength. He is a soul named Stephen who relishes life. Regardless of circumstance,  Stephen would be a bright shining light on Earth because that is who he is.

I have learned that another advantage of not being able to hear is that it helps you have incredible focus. When Stephen is talking to you, you know you have his full attention. He doesn't turn his head, as I do, when I hear a sound behind me. Stephen is listening to what you say 100% as he reads your lips. You know you have Stephen's full attention. His eyes are on you.

With both Stephen and Heaven Admin, what you see is what you get. There are no hidden agendas. They don't have anything up their sleeves. They are open books. True innocence. They are totally into whatever they are working on. They are into it and enjoying every single moment of it.

Stephen and I shared a Skype conference call the other evening with Heaven Admin, and whereas I was distracted by this and that, Stephen, sitting right next to me, was wholly into the topics: the Road Trip, the CommuniTree Network, and the building of a first spiritual eco-center in Capilla del Monte, Argentina.

I'll tell you another thing about Heaven Admin and Stephen -- they don't wait for anyone or anything. They forge ahead. They have true enthusiasm about everything in life. What a gift enthusiasm is. I have learned from them that a leader goes first, greets first, and a leader is always thinking of others first.

What hearts and minds these two gentlemen have. Two recent Heavenletters remind me of them.

#3840 Become a Rose, May 32, 2011 http://www.heavenletters.org/become-a-rose.html

#3841 Be Reliable, June 1, 2011  http://www.heavenletter.org/become-reliable.html

What a wonderful God sends us such inspired and inspiring people to learn firsthand from.

And, of course, it is obvious that God greets us first.