This became a personal goal after I had met a wonderful couple by the names of Mr. and Mrs. Horn. Although the conversation was brief, I couldn't help but notice that not just the exchange of words occurred that day. That even in regular conversation, their passion for God and people had the power to impart Gods love into people. They were liked by many, because they had touched many, and not just by the people they knew, they could walk up to a stranger and make them feel like a life long friend.
What I wanted was to reach certain character goals. To be a women of strength, of kindness, and of compassion. I want to be a person that far exceeds being liked, and instead become a person of influence.
Recently, I received this message. "I just wanted to thank you for being so kind and welcoming at the baby shower, it was a pleasure to meet you! You are full of life and inspiration, it's not often that I get to meet females my age that are willing to reach out to a stranger and make them feel like an old friend.
My heart to make an impression on people happened, even if it was only to this one person, it was a compliment that I was holding onto.
I also thought of Laura Truit. She used Tuesdays as a means to encourage people on Face book, calling it Enouragment Tuesdays. Well, Laura is friends with Beth, and Beth shared that her family draws out a name from a hat,and then, thinks about them. Each person would then write their thoughts on one postcard and she would send it. Both her and her husband believe that this exercise helps teach their children about the voice of God.
Both ladies were the reason that I had began using Face Book to encouage others. I usually use Birthdays as a reason to post messages on people's wall. I was hoping that it would help me break out of a very selfish mentality. And after a couple of weeks, the response I recieved was unexpected.
Almost every post had a similar reply. "Nadia, I am literally sitting at my desk right now and crying, good crying:)"
I couldn't believe how people were being touched just because someone really thought about them. I couldn't have expected my messages to have the power to be experiences with God, but I was grateful that they could.
By then, I had wasted a whole morning on the project, Mikka was awake from her nap, Drake was patiently waiting for his lunch, even I was hungry. Luckily, my hood was coming along nicely. I was making sure to measure a lot, and cut only after fittings. All in all, it seemed promising so I took a break and went to tame the three growling tummies.
In the meantime, between making my lunch, I recieved a call. It was a close friend of mine that I had been praying a lot for. She had some coincidences happen to her that day and she wanted my help in making some sense of them.
It all started when she was getting ready to throw away some garbage. She was looking for a big enough bag to fit all of her recyclable bottles. Upon finding one, she opened it up. It was black, deep and dark, like most of the garbage bage we use, but somehow the silver words on the journal shone. When she picked it up, she realized that it was the Life journal that I had given to her years ago. When she opened up the book, she read the message that I written to her. "Sometimes when it feels like your world is coming to an end, it it acually when it begins. God knew that you wouldn't have a plan, that you wouldn't know what to do. It is for that reason that He has one ready".Tears, Streaming. Heart, Aching. She realized that although she was in a different dilema, she was in the exact same emotional state. The state of hopelessness, guilt, and fear, hadnt left her. She flipped the page to find her entry. She had only made one, titled, "Help me". It was written back in October of 2008. She wrote in the next available page. "Save me". It was as if she already knew that her answer lied in the reading plan, and She flipped to it, scrolling her finger down to yesterdays date. May 29th 2012. Proverbs 10:1-13. With a small empty box beside it, she knew it was waiting for her to read it.
That was when my phone rang. It rang because she didn't have a bible and I did. It rang because she wanted to hear the voice of God. It rang because she wanted someone to tell her that she will be okay. It rang because she wanted to believe that He had a greater plan for her life, than she does.
Yesterday, she was the one that helped me confirm that He does. That each of my desires started by being His desires for me first, and that as I am trying to speak less and listen more He is able to use it. The Facebook posts have become a training ground for me, to teach me to listen to Him first and trust it to impart His love to people. And some how, believing for her helps me believe for me too.
Don't you ever want to be better than the person you are? I do, and i believe that you do too. So...not even for a minute think that you are different than me. Each of us have the same questions, we hold the same fears, and swallow the same disappointment. Each of us, is trying to make the most of what we have, hold our head above water, and swim to an unknown shore. Each of us also need each other. We need to be encouraged, loved, and cared for by the people surrounding our lives.
Don't you ever want to be better than the person you are? I do:)
Hope.
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