A little coffee and a little kindness go a long way.
3:43 PM
Tina is mama to three darling boys, and that's her baby Jackson standing with Charlotte. The kids frolicked in the park and only interrupted our conversation every 2 minutes or so. :) It actually went fairly well, but we both agreed that next time it would be nice to chat sans kiddos. I asked if it was alright to post a bit about our time together because I don't want people feeling like they have to freak out every time they see me that they'll end up being on the blog if they don't want to. :) She didn't mind, so here we are! Here's one stolen from her facebook:
Do you ever have those conversations with people that almost leave you all goosebumpy with the sense of the perfect timing of it all? This was one of those. After a night (last night) of sleeplessness and wrestling with old demons, I felt like I just NEEDED a word of encouragement like one needs air in their lungs. We had been wanting to catch up sometime and something made me text her this morning and even though it was completely last minute (it's how I roll, folks) ask to meet at the park and talk. She complied and brought her 3 boys and 2 neighbor kids and brought me a caramel iced coffee to boot. What a lady!
So many things impressed me during my time with her and I hope I won't soon forget them.....she has the gift of encouragement. In a world where we are becoming more and more individualistic and "do it yourself" and "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" and "you'll make it just fine on your own" and "All I need is me, myself, and I"..........(need I go on?) it was immensely refreshing to hear that yes, we DO need support. We need friendships. We need people that speak life into us. And that is precisely what she did this morning. Spoke LIFE.
Why are we so hesitant to reach out to each other? Are we afraid that by helping someone up they will use us as a stepping stool and go soaring on above us? Are we too proud? Are we too self-centered? Are we too insecure? Whatever the reason, encouragement sometimes seems like a life form near extinction, and I'm so recharged and refreshed and rejuvenated when I realize that it's still out there.
We talked a bit about lots of different things, and somehow stumbled upon something we both struggle with and can completely identify with each other on. Has that ever happened to you? It's like someone finally pulled up the shades in a dusty room and the light comes pouring in and those little molecules are spinning and churning wildly, and then the windows go up as well and you gulp the fresh air and never even realized how stale it was before.
Someone GETS IT.
I'm not a crazy person after all.
Ahhhh, the relief. So this goes out to all who may be needing a word of encouragement today. You can make it. Someone cares. Someone sees you right where you are. He knows your heart. He knows every thought you think. You are important to Him. And if you happen upon someone else who needs encouragement? Pass it on! Don't be afraid to reach out. There are hurting people all around us, everywhere we look. Let's be salt and light. Let's be the healing that we hope to see.
We really are all in this together after all.
2 comments
So true! I've been reminded lately of how many Bible verses talk about the power of the spoken word...whatever we say (or write) is either life or death, blessing or cursing. Thanks for your encouragement to reach out beyond ourselves and speak life into other's. As we encourage others, we ourselves are encouraged!
ReplyDeleteI think this is the first I've actually commented on your blog...I really enjoy coming here & reading your thoughts :)
-sherri
(withmealways.WordPress.com)
(For some reason, I couldn't post this under my blog name, so this is where I just made my home)
love you!!
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