April 17, 2018

Encourage One Another

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

She is our own little Good Will Ambassador. She is just past three, with soft brown curls bouncing on her head. Who could possibly resist her smile?

She welcomes everyone to Wednesday night dinner. She is quick with compliments. “I really like your outfit,” she recently told an older gentleman. She doesn’t meet a stranger and is friendly to everyone.

I’m sure her mom could point out the rest of the story. She’s of the age for meltdowns and stubbornness and all those things that will push a parent’s last button. But to the rest of us, she is a fresh, breath of joy wandering amongst us.

I don’t know too many adults that I could say that about. Most of us are quick to grumble about any and everything. We are too focused on ourselves, our friends, our own agendas to notice others. We look for the negative and that’s what we find.

Maybe God put this little girl in our midst to show us what it means to genuinely encourage people. Maybe He wanted us to see that there’s good in everyone if we’ll just open our eyes. Maybe God wanted to show us what it truly means to view life, to see faith, through the eyes of someone so small.

The other day bad weather was predicted. Fortunately, in our area the storm never became anything other than wind and rain. One woman lamented on Facebook that she sure wished the weather forecasters would stop making dire predictions. She was furious that they’d gotten the forecast wrong – again.

I couldn’t believe the venom from her mouth. I know she’s a Christian with a deep faith but no one could see it in her grumblings. I am thankful we didn’t have a tornado. Have you ever seen the aftermath of one of those? I prayed fervently for God’s protection and I am grateful that the storms never got worse. Other areas weren’t so fortunate. Did local weather forecasters get it wrong? Or did God hear our prayers and spare us from the storm’s fury? I guess it’s all about perspective.

The sad truth is that when you look for the bad, you’ll likely find it. And when you look for the good, you’ll find that too. When we encourage people, we see them blossom. When we criticize, we see them whither before our eyes.

This world can be hard sometimes. It’s filled with hurt and disappointments and unrealized dreams. Be the light. Smile at someone you don’t know. Give a sincere compliment to a person God places in your path. Offer hope for a better tomorrow to someone who has had a bad day.

Children can teach us so much if we’ll only notice. I’m so thankful for that little girl who is a bright light, reminding us that the gift of encouragement makes all of us smile.