Friday, January 21, 2011

Habit Making

Therefore encourage one another. . .

I Thessalonians 5:11

Like a thirsty plant I soaked up encouraging words this week. They came from my past and present. They arrived unexpectedly. They watered my soul soil and I was rejuvenated. They came with a person attached to them.

I have now lived long enough to know that encouraging words are difficult to come by for the reason they are hard to give. Envy, insecurity, hardness, ego, thoughtlessness, anger are just a few of the enemies of encouraging words. But when the enemies are put down, destroyed, a vibrant, engaging, lively life is realized by both the giver and the receiver.

Commenting on the bracelet worn by a post office worker recently I discover that he is a budding silversmith. “You are very talented,” I said. Those four words produced a smile and the sincerest “thank you” I have heard. And I realized that I had been able to give out of a supply that had been given to me. It had been a chain reaction.

So here’s a challenge to myself. Every day, alert to God’s prompting, I want to give an encouraging word to someone. They say it takes forty days to establish a habit - it looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me!

Anyone else up to the habit?

Jesus, I have been blessed with encouraging words.
Help me to have the words to spread the blessing.
Amen.

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