No Expiration Date

I have been conducting a little experiment.  It's inspired by my desire to treat people with more love and grace this Lenten season.  While I pride myself (no humility here, folks) on being a good communicator, I realize that words are only a fraction of the message.  The majority of the message is directed through personal filters on both the giving and receiving end of the words.  And those filters are often colored by messages we received at a very young age about our love-worthiness

Now this isn't news to me, but it's not a concept that is always forefront in my mind.  I am often taken aback when my well-intended message isn't taken the way it's intended.  So during Lent, I am trying to step into the receiver's shoes.  I am trying to be mindful that their receptors don't necessarily receive the shape of my words as they were intended. I'm hoping this becomes a lifestyle change and not just a verbal exercise with an expiration date.