Therefore
encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
1
Thessalonians 5:11
Thoughts~ My father was a radio announcer and he had a
lot of funny stories to share at the dinner table. But sometimes he would become pre- occupied
and one evening I said something crazy to see if he was listening to me. “Yes,
today I walked to the grocery store and was the 100,000 customer and so I won
$10,000 worth of groceries” I said one time.
He didn’t hear me, but all of the kids and my mom joined in my laughter.
After that, it became our little joke to get his attention. If he heard
laughter, he wanted in on it too.
We humans need encouragement and attention. We actually thrive on it. Without receiving this
amazingly free gift that we can offer to anyone, we would most likely shrivel
up inside. We can change someone’s day with just a little kindness, a smile, a
pat on the back. We can also do the opposite by rushing by, ignoring, and being
simply too busy to care.
I’ve noticed for many, many years how people walk by
others and say “how are you” without waiting for an answer. They don’t make the
time to engage with others. It’s so important to slow down and listen to the
responses we get and check if the person is needing a little bit of extra time
from me. Even if they are a stranger, that person may need one minute of our
time to feel important, to feel worthy. And you never know when one little word
leads to another and before we know it, we are aware that this encounter was a
divine appointment set in our schedule by God. When He wants to send encouragement
and love to someone, He uses us. We are His messengers of love.
Action~ Slow down and listen to the voices around you
with an intentional ear. Is someone needing encouragement or that extra
attention from you? Can we be part of
making someone’s day brighter or life easier? Can we be a link in the chain to
sharing Jesus with them? Let’s encourage and build up one another.
Even if you are the person that needs the
encouragement, step outside of your own needs and look to those of others and
before you know it, you’ll be feeling encouraged just by being the encourager!
Prayer~ Lord, please help me listen more intently to
the people you bring into my path. Give
me an ear like You have and send me the perfect words to encourage and build up
those that come into my life.
Trusting in the Lord,
Becky
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