Imagine you’re a river. Flowing forward, onward to your destination.

As you’re on your journey, you see clouds above you, rocks beside you, and fish among you.

There is always someone wanting to be a part, in whatever way it occurs, people enter.

You have those that are like clouds. They hover and block the sun at times and draw from your stream, but nonetheless they are an addition to your stream, dripping droplets into the deepest parts of you. Making you a better stream, one that doesn’t dry out, that stays fresh.

You have those who are like rocks. They know who they are and stop you from going adrift. They keep you in the path and you even sharpen them. The relationship is mutually beneficial. They don’t move from beside you and they make you swifter, stronger, and more passionate in your pursuit.

You have those who are like fish. They are along for the ride and love what you offer them. You give them life and so many things that make their time expectant. You enjoy them because they bring color to who you are. They show their appreciation just by being around, and that’s enough.

Everyone around us has come into our life for some reason. It’s not our job to run away from people or change them or live in fear or unhappiness either.

If we find ourselves affected by people in a way where we make changes due to their words or actions, we should make sure that we are not choosing them as our source.

One thing that I am not talking about is situations involving abuse. I am talking about the daily interactions, the parental conversations, the awkward pauses and the fun, but dangerous outlooks.

I am talking about how our mind rumbles after we spend time around someone. How our confusion grows after their opinions are expressed. How we may experience new, innovative thoughts after a deep conversation with someone…

What do we do when we feel/think differently after time spent with people?

Remember this:

There’s nothing wrong with people… Just because you had an idea and now you feel rubbed the wrong way or less motivated after being with someone, doesn’t mean anything is wrong with their company.
There’s nothing wrong with me… When your mind has been swirling for 3 days nonstop after having an enlightening conversation this doesn’t mean that you are a psycho or a failure.

With these things, we have a choice.

To decide who our source is. It isn’t me and it isn’t them.

My source has always been the Holy Spirit’s voice, God’s authorship, Jesus’ friendship.

My source isn’t of this world. The shaking and altering of other people’s voices isn’t my leadership. God’s voice is my Alpha.

People are people, and they can benefit you and also unnoticeably affect you negatively.

Most people are not malicious, and we know that, or I hope you know that. But the enemy is. Satan is the author of lies, whereas God is the Author of truth. The enemy can take a word spoken from a coworker or a friend and twist it into something that questions our belief and sturdiness OR puts us on cloud 9.

But at the end of the day, these voices are heard to cause me to know God’s voice even more.

To remember, recollect, and recall who my Author is.

The One who is doing all things well for my life will keep me in a pursuit of goodness, always after life, not destruction.