Yesterday, I spent the afternoon celebrating the life of a man that best exemplified Christian living -Harold Reid. 
The funeral had many participants who shared insights about the great life that Harold had lived. Many things inspired me to improve in various areas of life. Yet, there was one comment that struck me as particularly important. It was noticed by one person paying tribute to Harold that in the last months of Harold’s life, he said the things he wanted to say. He explained how Harold had come to a point of openness and generosity of words. There was no way that a person spending time with Harold would walk away without knowing how Harold felt about them.
As leaders, we are driven to reach ideals, fulfill visions, and help people become the best they can be. In these pursuits, we can be tempted to focus on areas of improvement rather than on areas of strength. While we want to speak words of life, at times we feel a responsibility to provide “direction” instead. Furthermore, there are times we feel weak as a leader by expressing our heartfelt thoughts towards someone else. Such an action makes us vulnerable…and even human!
As each person spoke at the funeral, they all spoke of the words of life that Harold spoke over them. To me it seemed that these individuals could hold their heads high because one man spoke meaningful words to them that made them feel like the world. He did not worry about appearing weak or being irresponsible in not bringing needed direction. Instead, he proved his authenticity and became a cheerleader to many.
There are incredible things in our hearts towards those around us. Those thoughts were not meant to be locked up. As we speak “the things we want to say”, we release people into their best and we release life into our souls. Over this Christmas season, when family issues can become chaotic, late nights can produce sharp words, and financial stresses can bring out our worse, let’s take time to say “the things we want to say” to those around us. Let’s be life bringers instead of Scrooges.
