Proverbs 25:11, "A word fitly spoken, is like apples of gold in settings of silver."
Recently I was given a moment with a sweet and interesting girl who had planted herself on top of a smooth giant rock near the observatory at the top of Stone Mountain. When I first caught glimpse of her, the profile of a young person in deep thought, I couldn’t help but take a couple of snapshots with my cell camera as the pose, the background, and the moment, was apropos for photography. Glancing over the photos, realizing that any girl might appreciate the fact she is the object of a great photo opp, I approached her and told her this would make a perfect picture for a social media post or blog if she were writing one.
Recently I was given a moment with a sweet and interesting girl who had planted herself on top of a smooth giant rock near the observatory at the top of Stone Mountain. When I first caught glimpse of her, the profile of a young person in deep thought, I couldn’t help but take a couple of snapshots with my cell camera as the pose, the background, and the moment, was apropos for photography. Glancing over the photos, realizing that any girl might appreciate the fact she is the object of a great photo opp, I approached her and told her this would make a perfect picture for a social media post or blog if she were writing one.
Very excited she asked to see the pic as indeed she had just finished a blog that she had written and allowed me to take a glimpse on her phone. As I studied her face at a closer range, no one could miss the tears streaming down her cheeks, and glancing through her blog she had uploaded on her phone, it reflected fresh feelings that she was starting a new chapter in her life. At the moment, I didn’t feel led to pry, but God revealed right there on the spot to encourage her heavily with the Word and a few examples of His work from topics on body-building all the way to building a business to a level far beyond what one could ever imagine or dream.
Before long, the smile came, the tears stopped, and she was ready to take on that new chapter she had already written about in her unpublished blog. Texting her the photos for her to use, she walked away with a lighter heart and a bounce in her step as she headed down the mountain, knowing full well that this was no mistake meeting – it was the Lord sending me on a divine appointment.
I may never know the reason for her heavy heart at our first meeting, but she was certainly not deep in sorrow as she left. With a belly full of gratitude, I reflected on how many times someone who was passing by gave me a word of wisdom that I would learn to treasure for eternity, and now was in the position to be that one that did the ministering. We never forget those people, their kindness, the power of that moment that possibly changed everything with a word, and what a deep privilege it is to be the one that could make all the difference to someone else.
The take-away: How many opportunities do we might miss when we don’t look up from our devices and busy schedules and stop and talk a minute to get involved in someone’s life just like this one? God will surely use someone, but don’t miss out on the chance when it’s your turn to minister. We could prevent a major decision in the wrong direction by stepping in with a strong shoulder to cry on or simply taking a few minutes to bolster a person’s entire direction in life. Especially if they are young and vulnerable to mass messages that lead to everything sin-filled, or a senior that is aging and losing hope for their quest in life, and any scenario in between, people are thirsty to hear a word of promising hope. Stepping in to navigate someone through the ups and downs of the human heart experiences can make an eternal impact on a life we encounter.
As for my time with this stranger now turned friend, I’m not sure who was blessed more at that moment, her, or me.
Paying it forward,
ReAnn Ring
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