Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

 

Inspiration

It’s like standing on the edge of the earth

The water lapping at your feet

Sand squishing between your toes

Wind whipping through your hair

Staring into the horizon

You can’t reach or feel it

It’s just… there

And you wonder, what is beyond that vastness

Suddenly,

The scent of salty air

The smell of life

The aroma of peace

All combine and fill you with longing, desire, emptiness, smallness

And then, all at once,

You see, hear, and feel the invitation:

Life is waiting

Are you in?

 

Marcie Bridges
20, April 2020

 

Morning dawned. I thought I was ready to start my day, so I opened Facebook and began to scroll through my newsfeed. It didn’t take long until I was wishing I hadn’t.

 

Facebook had become Complain-book. Every other post seemed to be complaining about our worldwide situation in some form or another. I had to get off.

 

In high school I had some pretty wonderful friends. We’re still friends to this day, 30 years later. (Side note: I can’t believe this is our 30^th high school reunion year.) Back then I was a spunky little thing. My friends nicknamed me Smileyhappy and Smiley.

 

Eventually though, life would bring me down and I had quit being that person they loved so much. My “Pollyanna Syndrome” was gone. Positivity was far from me. And unbeknown to me, my friends had noticed.

 

At one point I realized one of my friends was no longer talking to me. For days, no matter what I did, she would not give me the time of day. And it upset me terribly. I could think of nothing that I had done to cause her to no longer be my friend.

 

My friend’s birthday was coming up. I decided to give her a card in hopes it would help. And, it did! She eventually revealed to me the reason she had been avoiding me. I was complaining and being a debby-downer too much and she couldn’t take it anymore.

 

Giving her a birthday card showed her I still cared about her and it lifted her spirits. We quickly rekindled our friendship and as I mentioned before, we are still good friends today.

 

How about you? Are you having trouble finding inspiration in your days right now? Are you being more of a debby-downer or a smileyhappy?

 

 

I know from personal experience, when we help others, we also help ourselves. When we give of ourselves, it brightens our day too.

 

 

Maybe this week we can send someone some cheer. Send a card to encourage a friend or family member, make a video of ourselves being silly and sending it to someone, or (gasp!) a phone call! Remember those?

 

Let’s remember to encourage each other and build each other up in God’s word each week.

 

From My Heart to Yours,
Marcie 🙂

 

All pictures provided with thanks from www.pixabay.com