As I walked through the back door and down the hallway of the nursing home, I noticed paramedics standing near the location of my mentor’s room. I had a moment of panic until I was closer and realized, it wasn’t my friend’s room, but the one just before his.
I kept my head down and concentrated on maneuvering the hallway. As I neared the group of caregivers and medical personnel gathered around an individual in a wheelchair, I glanced over. Immediately, I recognized the woman. She was someone who had attend our church years before with her family.
I smiled as I glanced in her direction but could tell she didn’t recognize me, so I continued my quest to locate my friend. I looked in his room, but it was empty, so I continued on down the hallway toward the dining room.
I finally spotted him and silently breathed a sigh of relief. There he was fit-as-a-fiddle, having lunch with his wife and some friends. I could see the ambulance blocking the cars in the front parking lot and was glad I had to park in the back.
Let’s rewind for a minute.
This past Sunday was the first time in three-weeks I got to worship and be physically present with my church family. It felt good, to be home participating in service and not watching online from an out of state location. But I was so looking forward to heading straight home after church and relax.
That’s when it happened!
I felt a nudge from God. A nudge I tried to ignore.
Truthfully, I argued for several blocks with God in my head. I was rationalizing why I needed to go home and rest. Why did he want me to all of a sudden go visit my longtime friend and mentor in the nursing home? In fact, I already had made plans to visit this person and his wife on Monday. I was tired. I hadn’t eaten lunch, and…. on and on the excuses went until I reached the nursing home.
We had lunch and moved to the family room area to visit when suddenly in walked a woman I knew. She was the daughter of the lady in the hallway I’d seen with the paramedics. She locked eyes with me, and I could see shock and also relief in her eyes.
I immediately got up and went to her. We embraced and she told me her sister was with her too. I told her to go finish up with her mother and paramedics and if she needed me, I would stick around.
Shortly after that interchange, I saw the paramedics wheel the woman out and drive away. At the same time, my friend was ready to go take a nap, so decided I to go in search of the women whose mother was just taken away. She and sister reached me before I could even leave the family room. I found myself encouraging them, praying for them and the situation they now found themselves in.
I prayed for healing, wisdom, discernment and strength for the road ahead. I also confessed that I wasn’t supposed to be there that day, and I explained I had felt a nudge from God to come right away and not wait. I had no idea why until that moment. They were so glad I obeyed and so was I.
Being an agent of encouragement is simply responding to the prompting of the Lord. It isn’t always about speaking profound or life changing words, sometimes it’s just about being there for someone to bring them comfort. Sometimes it’s to pray and other times to listen.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)
God is calling each of us to be agents of encouragement. It’s His desire for us, the church, to step up, fill in the gaps, be His hands, feet and mouthpiece. We are to #BeTheGift He is sending to the world, our world, our circle of influence. We may not know what people need, but He does.
If we take the time, make ourselves available, and listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, who knows how many lives will be saved, transformed, comforted and forever changed. We all have the opportunity to #BeTheGift of encouragement others need today.
This is exactly why I wrote “The Gift of Prophetic Encouragement: Hearing the Words of God for others.” This book is about learning to hear the voice of God in our own life so we can respond to those God nudges He gives us on a daily basis. God is calling us to be agents of encouragement and to be the gift the worlds needs today.
We live in a time, where those around us are in desperate need of a real encounter with Jesus and in need of encouragement. We are called to encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:13), and to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). My book will teach you how to step out and do just that.
I am passionate about people walking in their kingdom purpose. I am a natural born encourager on fire for Jesus and I love to inspire others to see the God potential inside of them. I am an author, speaker, pastor and the founder of “Dare 2 Hear,” ministry training individuals in hearing the voice of God. I’m passionate about equipping individuals, so they can go deeper in their relationship with God. My new book, The Gift of Prophetic Encouragement: Hearing the Words of God for Others, released August 21, 2018 with Chosen Books.
Please visit my website or follow my social media!
Wow- God has been really speaking to me on this lately and reminds me of a podcast I recently recorded too on the power of praying”Holy spirit have your way with my day” in the mornings!
I feel its no coincidence that I read this article this week, So encouraging and well worded- keep spreading your light and love..I definitely feel encouraged Thank you!