Believing in Others

"Prayer is the way we recognize potential in others", says author Mark Batterson in his book The Circle Maker.  1 Corinthians 14:3 says a prophet speaks words of comfort and encouragement as prompted by the Holy Spirit. We need each other. We need to speak words of encouragement to one another, to build one another up, just as scripture says (Hebrews 10:24,25).

As I was reading this morning I couldn't help but think of the message I posted yesterday of the family that Larrys knows and his desire to be the reminder of hope and encouragement for others.  This story followed in my reading...

I grew up in an alcoholic household where I never heard a positive word. On my way home from school I would always stop in at Jimmy's, the local dry cleaner, because I knew he kept candy on the counter.  He got to know me, and told me one afternoon, "Michael, you are a very smart boy. Someday you are going to run a very big business." I would listen to him in disbelief and return home only to get called a "dog" and knocked around by my dad. But you know... Jimmy the dry cleaner was the only person I can remember believing in my... Today I run a multimillion dollar health care organization, just like Jimmy predicted. I guess you could say that a dry cleaner was the prophet in my life.

It only takes one person to speak the words of hope that motivate another to dream.  It only takes one person to believe in another, for great things to happen. "Our words have the potential to change lives by helping people discover their identity and destiny in Jesus Christ." 

I want my words to bring life and not death (Proverbs 18:21).  And when we don't have words to say, let our actions be the encouragement that build one another up.

I've learned that

people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget

how you made them feel.

 -Maya Angelou

 

Hope for the Future

In the past few months Larrys has walked with a family through a difficult time.  Janet, a mom of 3 girls is suffering from severe depression.  Her depression is debilitating and she lost her job.  Her husband, a construction worker, was without consistent work and began to drink.    The girls became so concerned about their mom that they were not able to continue in their normal activities.  One of the girls cries all the time.  The others take care of normal household responsibilities.  Without a steady income and with 5 mouths to feed, the girls were going to have to drop out of school.  There was no extra.

Larrys became very concerned.  He has known these girls since they were born and hopes for a great future for them.  He worries that their situation will keep them from their dreams, from the future they have hoped for.

That’s when Larrys came to me and asked what I thought of helping them with their education.  He thought more about the idea, and in a more general sense, what if we offered scholarships to kids that don’t have anyone believing in them, encouraging them to hope for a better future and those whose parents just can’t, what if we did that for them?

Larrys has grown up in a country where many people have stopped dreaming, the result, people live for today and they do what feels good now.  Many end up pregnant, caught in an addiction or struggle with unemployment their whole life.  He knows what it’s like to live without the encouragement of another and when no one believes in you. But he will never blame anyone; his father died when he was young and he knows his mom did her best to care for him and his 7 siblings.  

Larrys desire is that we walk with kids as they continue in their education. We will dream with them, encourage them and be their biggest cheerleaders along the way. 

How?  Of course we will pay their tuition and required supply fees.  But we know that giving “everything” rarely helps, so families will be responsible for transportation, uniforms and food.  We will meet individually once a month with each student. We will have group activities, for kids to know each other and be encouraged.  We will serve others together; we will teach them to see the needs of others and how to love well.  And finally, we will encourage them to make a life long choice to do the same for someone else. 

Our mission is to connect others with Christ and each other, this program fits well. We have already begun supporting Geyzel and Alejandra, their classes begin the end of January.  If you would like to be involved so we can support other kids in this way, please let us know.  We are making a proposed budget at this time and will have more information soon.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

-Nelson Mandela