Encouragement and Investment

Hebrews 3:13 says, "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."


This week, I've experienced encouragement after encouragement from the people around me--people I wouldn't have expected to influence my life. Let me tell you about a few of them:


1. My students performed in a contest. The purpose of this contest was not to win any grand awards. It was simply an opportunity to play for "judges" who listened to the students' playing and then gave them a few words of encouragement. I had 3 students who participated. All 3 made Superior ratings. But the rating wasn't what was great about it. The meaningful part, to me as a teacher, was that each judge took time with each kid to give them an encouraging word. Part of that encouragement was to commend them on what they had already done, and part of it was to spur them on to set new goals. One judge told my student: "You command the instrument. Your intonation is good. You were very well prepared. Now, I want to see you be more confident. I want to see some showmanship." What a great word! It acknowledged the hard work that had been done, but also let her know that music isn't about the perfection and it's never a finished product. It's about the connection you make with an audience--and having fun with that connection. It's an art. She encouraged that student to break out of her shell and begin contributing pieces of herself to the music instead of simply playing what was on the page.


2. I had to go to the pharmacist to pick up a new prescription for one of my children. The pharmacist placed a note that he wanted to talk to me. He spent 20 minutes talking to me not only about the prescription, but telling me stories about his kids, etc. He was so encouraging to me as a parent. Simply spending that time with me--when he had plenty of other customers--was such an encouragement to me. It showed that this was a person that cared. I called my mother and told her I felt like I was living in the 50's, where I had a pharmacist who knew my name, knew my children, and just had time. It made such a difference in my day.


3. Saturday morning, my neighbor down the street rang the doorbell. I have maybe said 2 words to her since I moved in. She and her granddaughter were standing at the door with a plate of cinnamon rolls. They had been to an early breakfast and had made way too many cinnamon rolls, so they were walking door-to-door around our cul de sac offering the extra cinnamon rolls. She thought my kids might like them. It was just a simple act of kindness and again, that personal contact.


4. I sat next to someone this week in a meeting from Brown Blvd. We were there to be trained on a new program, but instead, we used the "free time" during the meeting to chat about the church. She spoke to me for a long time about the changes that have gone on. Sometimes, there were tears in her eyes, and sometimes we were laughing. It was a time that we haven't had before just to sit and talk and be thankful for what God is doing in that place. Just in case you don't know, God has His church right there on Brown Blvd. It is growing--from the inside out. It is exciting! For me, it was so meaninful to hear from a long time Brown Blvd. member their perspective on how things had changed. It was an encouragement to me that what we are doing is making a difference. But even more so, it was an encouragement to me that God is always faithful when we are committed to His service. He is at work. He is present. He's not wasting a moment of our time that we commit to Him!


Life happens in the details. These small moments out of my week were so meaningful. It was example after example of people with busy lives who chose not to live in the midst of their stress or busy-ness. They chose to live in relationship with each other--this week, in relationship with me. I hope to never be too busy to take time to live in relationship with others. How else will they know God if they don't see Him in our lives or hear about Him from our lips?


Lord, help me this week to look at the little ways that I can encourage another person. Help me to spend meaningful time with the people around me. Help me not to get caught up in the meaningless details and the busy-ness, but instead remind me to take the time and energy to make an investment in someone else's life--whether it's an investment that lasts 20 minutes, or it's something that You use to last a lifetime. Lord, I am Your servant. Use me.