Keep in Touch, No Matter What

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. -- Hebrews 3:12-13

I am so grateful to live in an era in which the technology exists that I can communicate with so many people across so many boundaries. I recently mentioned that I found a way to use my home PC and an internet connection to talk to deaf people. I just spent the last hour doing that, in fact:

A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
-- Proverbs 11:25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. -- Hebrews 10:24

I find that, when I'm feeling down or lonely and I want to be cheered up, all I need to do is encourage someone else. I know that by doing that I myself get encouraged. I find great joy in seeing great qualities in others. I learn to appreciate them so much more.

I spoke with A., for example. She and her husband are expecting their third child in May. He's been working so much lately that they haven't been coming to church. She felt upset that I was yet another person calling to ask her why she hasn't been to church, and I can tell that it's been a sort of stumbling block in her relationships with others. I just told her that I miss being encouraged by her and the chance to encourage her as well. I mentioned to her that when one part of the body hurts, every part hurts with it (1 Corinthians 12:26). I said this not to be down on her, but just to convey my love for her and her family. I want to call her husband, who is hearing, this evening.

Then I called to talk to T. She and her husband recently had their second child, and I was fortunate to call when the baby was asleep. She, like I, tends to wear her heart on her sleeve, which means that it's not hard to tell that she was encouraged by my phone call. I asked her what I could pray for her about. She mentioned that she didn't have a Bible, and that she wanted to get one so that she could read and learn from God. We talked about some of the main points from last Sunday's message, and I shared with her a passage I read yesterday:

Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. -- Joshua 21:45

This passage clearly indicates that God keeps his promises. I have a difficult time in trusting God, and it's manifested itself in a host of dysfunctional ways, as regular readers of this blog can attest. As I shared this with her, I could tell she was encouraged by that, too.

I just want to keep in touch with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and others, too. Over 12 years ago, I read this book called Balcony People, by Joyce Landorf Heatherley. It's only a short volume, and I got the point after just reading the first couple of pages. From that time on, I have desired to be a Balcony Person to as many others as I can.