Encouraging Others – Motivational Monday
“Encouraging Others” Today’s Prospective for Motivational Monday, and why Kindness is important
We are living in a day when it seems that the months are passing too fast. Life, in general, seems to be passing us by. Do we stop long enough to make sure that our time here is well spent? Are we out for ourselves only or are we also careful to spread Words of Kindness? Do we just need encouragement for ourselves or should we be “encouraging others?”
I am printing here a copy of an email I received some time ago from The Daily Encourager, entitled:
The List
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other
students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each
name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about
each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the
class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room,
each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a
separate sheet of paper and listed what everyone else had said about that
individual. On Monday, she gave each student his or her list. Before long,
the entire class was smiling. “Really?” she heard whispered. “I never knew
that I meant anything to anyone!” and, “I didn’t know others liked me so
much,” were most of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they
discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The
exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with
themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his
teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a
serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took
a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to pass the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to
her. “Were you Mark’s math teacher?” he asked. She nodded: “yes.” Then he
said: “Mark talked about you a lot.”
After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates went together to a
luncheon. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak
with his teacher. “We want to show you something,” his father said, taking
a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed.
We thought you might recognize it.”
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook
paper that had obviously been taped, folded, and refolded many times. The
teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had
listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him.
“Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see,
Mark treasured it.”
All of Mark’s former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled
rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer
of my desk at home.”
Chuck’s wife said, “Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.”
“I have mine too,” Marilyn said. “It’s in my diary”
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her
wallet, and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. “I carry this
with me at all times,” Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she
continued: “I think we all saved our lists”
That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and
for all his friends who would never see him again.
The Facts Are… Encouraging Words Matter
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don’t know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 KJV )
“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.- Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today.” (Hebrews 3:13 KJV)
“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. Encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25 KJV )
“By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.” (1 Peter 5:12 KJV in Blue)
What We Know For Sure
We never know when we speak a kind word how important it will be to another soul. We all have life things that sometimes discourage us and get us down. But, if we have faith, we will overcome our fears and begin, again.
It is not how important we are but how important we make another soul feel. Our encouraging words could make someone’s day brighter, more livable, or more like living. If we look to help another, we will be helping ourselves.
If we choose to linger in selfish pity, we lose what strength we do have. So, do we find a way to “Encourage” another soul, or do we wallow in self-pity?
No, we find ways to make our worries seem less important by making our own list of the good things we have and how fortunate we are. We then look around us to see another soul who might just need “Encouraging Words” that could change their life forever.
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Country Living Magazine- Bible Verses About Encouraging Others
