Let's Make Love....and MMFI

While in college I was working at a gym and once every few wks we would have a group meeting of all the staff. I'll never forget the one thing our fitness manager would  always say at the start of the first meeting of the new semester.

 "You guys, what is the one thing that every single person who walks through these doors has written across their forehead? Actually let's make it broader than that. What is the one thing that every man, woman and child that you meet has written across their forehead?"   There would be silence and he would say, "MMFI".  

"Make Me Feel Important."   He would go on.  "Your job, when people come in here to work out is yes, to give them good work outs, answer questions, but the very first thing is to Make them Feel Important, Seen and Loved!"    That always stood out to me and I really took it to heart. Years later, I realize even more what he meant by that.

We were made from Love, for Love and to Love. Tied in with that desire to love and be loved, is the desire to be 'seen', to be acknowledged and loved for who we are, in our povertys, our frailties and brokenness; to feel important.  That need begins at birth and doesn't go away until we breathe our last breath.

A lot of people are walking around, feeling lonely, unseen, unloved. Mother Teresa always said that loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty. Dang. If anyone knew and saw what poverty was on a regular basis, that would be Mama T! If she, in the trenches of serving the poorest of the poor in Calcutta said that that was the worst poverty she saw, then what does that mean for us?

That poverty happens even in our own homes, in our own families, people we are with day in and day out, but aren't taking the time to see.

It's interesting how, if there is a little baby somewhere, people of all ages, even gruff, bitter people, will usually smile back if a little one smiles at them.  Little kids know the value of a smile, of reaching out.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day. We don't need a holiday to tell us to go out and love people. But maybe it can be the start of choosing to add value, to make people feel loved, seen, to let them know they have value and significance. Smile at people. Ask the grocer at the check out how his day is going. Hold open the door for someone. Pay for someone's coffee. Tell someone they did a good job. Call someone and tell them you appreciate them.

There are a million ways to be 'making love' through out the day that are highly appropriate and can be game changers for peoples. Let's get out of ourselves and start seeing those around us, seeing their goodness, their beauty, their needs. Let's choose love today. Let every person who comes in contact with us walk away from the encounter, even if it's only 10 seconds, feeling that they are important, they have significance and they are loved.

Happy Valentines Day!

Be blessed~
Maria


p.s. Get your workout in today! Part of loving others is also loving yourself! So take care of that Temple of yours!