Today there was a street festival in the town where my church is located. We had a booth there to do some dream interpreting and "Life Readings". I am still in the process of breaking off old restraints; I don't like the terminology, but I like what God does. This wording is a little more comfortable for me than "Spiritual readings", but still reminds me too much of psychic terminology. But God doesn't seem to mind, as He generously gives us encouraging words to say to those who come to sit and see what this is all about. It is really kind of amazing when I think about it. Perfect strangers come and sit down, and trust you to say something to them about themselves. They are willing, for the most part, to believe that you can really do this thing. They have more faith in me to hear something for them than I do to receive something for them.(but I don't let on about that, of course) Even those who sit and are totally skeptical soften when we say something that catches them off guard because it is accurate. What does this say? Why do they agree to sit, let us look at them (which makes most people totally uncomfortable) and then speak into their lives? Why do they go and bring their friends back and say, "you gotta hear this!" ?
I think it is because everyone needs to be encouraged. Even the happiest of the visitors need to be encouraged.
One woman came and sat down, and as soon as she did, I heard the Lord say "Ferris Beuller". Now, what was I supposed to do with that? Most of the time, I don't know what to say until I begin speaking. I think the Lord is bypassing my brain and speaking through my mouth so I don't mess it up. So I just told her that as soon as I saw her, I heard the name, and asked her if she remembered the movie. I was laughing because it seemed so crazy to me, but she did remember it. So then I asked her, "Do you remember how he asked his friend Cameron, 'Can you really say you haven't seen anything good today?'" (Cameron, for those reading who may not remember the movie, was a depressed, repressed, melancholic boy who didn't even want to get out of bed for an adventure.) And she did. Then I said, "Well, that's how you are with your friends. You are like Ferris with them and always encouraging them to see the fun in life. You're like a cheerleader cheering them on to remember to have fun and have a good time, but always in a good way, the right way." She was nodding her head as I was speaking and so excited and told us that is exactly right and just exactly what she does. My encouragement to her was to keep doing it, that she has a gift of encouraging others, and people really need it. She was all smiles. I don't remember what the other people on the team had to say to her, but it was along the same lines. All in all, it was a good experience.
I wish I could remember to do this all the time. I think we can always be "on" with God. I long to get to the place in my walk with Him that I am never "off". Learning to give encouraging words hasn't been so easy, as I was not raised that way. I did not learn to praise people for their accomplishments, or their character, or kindness, or generosity. I stumble over my words sometimes because I want to be better at this, and then I try too hard and it sounds disingenuine. (Is that the right word?) However, when I relax and ask God to show me, He does. When I ask Him for the right words to say, He gives them. When I ask Him to put a guard on my mouth, He does that too. I have some regrets that I didn't learn this when I was younger, and that I was not so good at doing this with my children, but I am thankful for what I have learned and that there is still time to pass this on to them. And to my grandchildren. In the beginning, it felt WRONG. It felt like I was not being truthful. Or sincere. Or that I was making up things to say that were just noise. But that was not so. And I am getting better at this, it is becoming more natural to me, and I like it. I may not be Ferris Beuller, but I am not Cameron either. I have seen some good things today.
I think it is because everyone needs to be encouraged. Even the happiest of the visitors need to be encouraged.
One woman came and sat down, and as soon as she did, I heard the Lord say "Ferris Beuller". Now, what was I supposed to do with that? Most of the time, I don't know what to say until I begin speaking. I think the Lord is bypassing my brain and speaking through my mouth so I don't mess it up. So I just told her that as soon as I saw her, I heard the name, and asked her if she remembered the movie. I was laughing because it seemed so crazy to me, but she did remember it. So then I asked her, "Do you remember how he asked his friend Cameron, 'Can you really say you haven't seen anything good today?'" (Cameron, for those reading who may not remember the movie, was a depressed, repressed, melancholic boy who didn't even want to get out of bed for an adventure.) And she did. Then I said, "Well, that's how you are with your friends. You are like Ferris with them and always encouraging them to see the fun in life. You're like a cheerleader cheering them on to remember to have fun and have a good time, but always in a good way, the right way." She was nodding her head as I was speaking and so excited and told us that is exactly right and just exactly what she does. My encouragement to her was to keep doing it, that she has a gift of encouraging others, and people really need it. She was all smiles. I don't remember what the other people on the team had to say to her, but it was along the same lines. All in all, it was a good experience.
I wish I could remember to do this all the time. I think we can always be "on" with God. I long to get to the place in my walk with Him that I am never "off". Learning to give encouraging words hasn't been so easy, as I was not raised that way. I did not learn to praise people for their accomplishments, or their character, or kindness, or generosity. I stumble over my words sometimes because I want to be better at this, and then I try too hard and it sounds disingenuine. (Is that the right word?) However, when I relax and ask God to show me, He does. When I ask Him for the right words to say, He gives them. When I ask Him to put a guard on my mouth, He does that too. I have some regrets that I didn't learn this when I was younger, and that I was not so good at doing this with my children, but I am thankful for what I have learned and that there is still time to pass this on to them. And to my grandchildren. In the beginning, it felt WRONG. It felt like I was not being truthful. Or sincere. Or that I was making up things to say that were just noise. But that was not so. And I am getting better at this, it is becoming more natural to me, and I like it. I may not be Ferris Beuller, but I am not Cameron either. I have seen some good things today.
