Anybody who knows me, knows how much I love the series, “Burn Notice.” There are probably hundreds of reasons why, but one of the top five would have to be that God has used the dialog in the show to teach me valuable lessons. The words have a way of registering in my mind so that I meditate in greater depth and as a result they impact my life.
In the episode, “Brother’s In Arm”, Randall Burke told Michael Westen, much to his surprise, “It’s been an honor, Mike.”, just moments before sacrificing his own life for a greater cause allowing Michael to escape being held in a secret Russian facility in Cuba with a woman who was being held in a nearby cell after being tortured for two weeks.
Even though I’ve heard that line over and over including several times in the last few weeks, it spoke to me this morning. How many people could say that about me? Have I conducted my life in a manner that they could say it has been an honor to know me? Have I lived for God, so that God has shown through me to bless others?
And more importantly, have I missed the opportunity to say that to others? Have I given honor to others that have blessed my life or have I let the moment slip by? What impact on that person’s life did I fail them by keeping silent? What impact on a person’s life could be made by telling them it was an honor to have known them?
What we speak and what we do has a spiraling affect that we can’t even comprehend for generations to come on people we touch and we don’t even know it.
Just the mere words “it’s been an honor” could turn a person’s world around. It could literally save a person’s life years down the road when they think no one cares. Or it could make them see themselves differently, encouraging them to go beyond what they thought they could accomplish, contributing to the welfare of society.
Sometimes we need to be willing to let go of our selfishness and humble ourselves to give honor to others. By giving honor to Michael that day, Randall Burke received honor himself. Burke’s cause wasn’t honorable, but his final actions were. Michael will always be grateful of the sacrifice made for him that day and see Randall's final actions as being honorable. Those words will reign in his mind for the remainder of his life. Someone saw him as being honorable. Whenever he is about to do something dishonorable, he will remember those words spoken over him causing a change of direction, avoiding a path he would never want to take.
And now those words will impact my life as well for years to come.
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