Being an Encourager
On the spur of the moment, I invited my friends over for a Sunday lunch and afternoon walk. After they accepted, I warned them that my room was a wreck. I explained that I have been trying to clean it but I haven't gotten very far. They asked me,
"What have you cleaned so far?" I said,
"My bookshelf..."
We giggled and chatted the whole way home. I felt like I was eight years old again. We reminisced about scheming a way to go home with each other. Once planned, we would sidle up to our parents and wait "patiently" for them to stop talking. Then we would make our request, with it carefully laid out and ready. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't.
Yesterday was different. We tried to figure out how we could enjoy a nice "picturesque" walk sometime soon. I nudged Mom and asked her if they could come over. She was ok with it. I told the girls and they glanced at each other and said,
"Sure!"
We laughed about the difference between when we were eight and now. Now we could make spur of the moment decisions. Then we could only dream and hope.
When we got to the house, they marched straight for my bedroom and stood in front of my bookshelf. They gasped and oohed and aahed. I laughed at them as they made their fuss. Then I realized what they were doing. Instead of coming into my room and glancing with disgust at the dresses hanging helter skelter, or staring at my stacks of books that I need to find a home for; they went straight for the progress that I had already made. They looked for the beauty in the chaos.
What about us? Can we find the good in any situation? Do we even look for it?
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1Thessalonians 5:11
"What have you cleaned so far?" I said,
"My bookshelf..."
We giggled and chatted the whole way home. I felt like I was eight years old again. We reminisced about scheming a way to go home with each other. Once planned, we would sidle up to our parents and wait "patiently" for them to stop talking. Then we would make our request, with it carefully laid out and ready. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't.
Yesterday was different. We tried to figure out how we could enjoy a nice "picturesque" walk sometime soon. I nudged Mom and asked her if they could come over. She was ok with it. I told the girls and they glanced at each other and said,
"Sure!"
We laughed about the difference between when we were eight and now. Now we could make spur of the moment decisions. Then we could only dream and hope.
When we got to the house, they marched straight for my bedroom and stood in front of my bookshelf. They gasped and oohed and aahed. I laughed at them as they made their fuss. Then I realized what they were doing. Instead of coming into my room and glancing with disgust at the dresses hanging helter skelter, or staring at my stacks of books that I need to find a home for; they went straight for the progress that I had already made. They looked for the beauty in the chaos.
What about us? Can we find the good in any situation? Do we even look for it?
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1Thessalonians 5:11
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