January 22, 2012 Depressed or Destressed?

I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever business she has need of you for indeed, she has been a help of many and of myself also. Romans 16:1-2

Our church works at winning and growing souls through evangelism and intentional teaching, but it also focuses on being involved in both our local community as well as our global community. This morning one of the pastors made an announcement of a blood drive and asked those who had ever given blood to raise their hands. Mine went up because my father’s had gone up when I was a child. His cap was lined with little red tear drops marking how many gallons he had given. Then the pastor told the audience to look around because all those raised hand proved that you could survive the process of giving blood.  His point was that those who hadn’t given blood should be encouraged by those who had.

I’m not exactly sure how my mind works, but before long I was thinking about how we can, without a word, encourage or depress other people. As my mind wandered down that rabbit trail, I thought about how encouraged I am just by thinking about godly older women like Eleanor Mosher and Marie Riley and Ruby Carmen and godly younger women like Christy Stodard Lothamer, Becky Courliss, Karis Mc Call Stiles and Summer and Michelle and Renee and Krista, and I could go on and on. They encourage me because of their godliness in the face of trials, their pursuit of God, and their faithfulness over time and trial.  I don’t even have to see them to be encouraged by their lives – the memories of their input to my life, even when they were not aware of it encourage me.

I have to admit that there are other women who still have the power to bring stress in my life, if I allow it. As their names and faces zip through my memories, I am stricken with grief and pain and regret and stress.  Was there more I should have done? Were their words I should have said or not said? Who is ministering to them now? Is there something I should do now?

When Paul thought about Phoebe, I am sure that a smile crept across his face, and his blood pressure evened out. I am sure that for a moment, in that Roman prison, sunlight warmed his face because Phoebe’s memory brought stress relief. She had lived such a sweet servant life, ministering to Paul and the Church that He told the readers of the book of Romans to give her anything she asked. He had that kind of confidence in her character.

All of this challenged me: when my face crosses someone’s mind, are they encouraged or distressed? Do they remember the times I reached out to them, shared a kind word, laughed with them? Or have I left a trail of pain where my thoughtless words did not turn them to Christ, but away.

I do know, as you do, that sometimes people can miss our efforts to honor God, but I pray this day that God will help me to be that kind of a woman – like Phoebe…whose very memory is an encouragement.