Never Throw Out Anyone

In case you wanted to know, this is a humanity post, not a religious post.

You see, I believe in the worth of every human being.  The foundation for today’s idea rests on this quote.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, 

renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; 

never throw out anyone.

~Audrey Hepburn

One would expect churches to proclaim this concept.  After all, they should be the first place we look when we talk about redemption. 

Honestly, though, shouldn’t we all be interested in redemption?  Haven’t we all needed redemption from time to time? 

Sometimes we are quick to toss someone overboard because they slipped.  The slip could have been a moral slip, and it just as easily could have been a performance slip.  Maybe someone disappointed you.  Maybe someone tells you one thing yet leans in another direction.

Carolyn teaches piano.  She is as much a counselor, a listening ear, a confidant, and a wise and trusted adult as much as she is a great pianist.  Students have come to trust her.  They trust her confidentiality, they trust her wisdom and they trust her love.  AND … they learn piano too.  How awesome is that!

She has never and will never toss a student out for having a troubled life, or for breaking down in tears because of a bad day or a troubling problem with parents.

Aren’t you glad you haven’t been thrown out.  I am.  I’ve had my bad moments.  I’ve had my times of distress.  I’ve had a few failures, and yet I’m still loved and accepted. 

I’ve needed re-tweaking, I’ve needed better role models, a better manual, a new understanding on the task at hand.  And thankfully I’ve received all of that and more.

It amazes me how companies sometimes will release a trained employee rather than revive them, retrain them, and restore them. 

I’m all about finding ways to redeem individuals.  And I’m seeing it work in a friend or two.  I have a near-homeless friend to whom I occasionally loan money.  I say “loan” because that is exactly what it is.  And he pays me back.  He presently owes me seventy bucks.  Just two days ago he mentioned a repayment schedule that sounds pretty good to me and our past history tells me he will come through. 

People will disappoint.

People will show their ugly side.

People will lie and cheat.

People will fail to deliver at crucial moments.

And they still need to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed.

Toss someone overboard?

I say … help them find their sweet spot.  What are they good at doing?

P Michael Biggs

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