Bystanders?

By-standing? (01-28-22)– -Lifting Each Other Up!--1 Thessalonians 5:11

My friend, may I ask you a question? Sidelines. Did you ever stop to consider how important they are? Yet, if the playing field is where all the action is taking place, of what importance could the sidelines possibly be?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

Sidelines. Did you ever stop to consider how important they are? Yet, if the playing field is where all the action is taking place, of what importance could the sidelines possibly be?

If you have ever been a football player at the bottom of a tackling pile, a runner sprinting to the finish line or an athlete sprinting up and down the basketball court with a dribble, you know how important the sideline is. Even though every winning athlete is motivated from the heart to excel, in the end, without the support from the sidelines. it is often very difficult to maintain that level of excellence. You need the yells, the waves and the cheers to be fully motivated to go on.

But, being on the sidelines doesn't really seem to be much of an inspiring job, does it? Bye standing when you could be playing seems so trivial, so meaningless. Chuck Swidoll tells the story of a little boy who found he had a special gift. One day a bird hopped up to him and the boy reached down and touched its little head. The bird enjoyed the touch and actually let the lad stroke it several times before he hopped away again. Soon he found his "calling"–patting little birds on the head. The birds would approach, lower their little feathered pates to be patted, sigh deeply, and walk away satisfied. It brought him no end of fulfillment–in spite of the teasing he took from others. "What's wrong with patting birds on the head?" he wanted to know. "What's wrong with it?" his embarrassed friends replied. "No one else does it!" If your niche is encouraging, says Swindoll, please don't stop. If it is embracing, demonstrating warmth, compassion, and mercy to feathers that have been ruffled by offense and bruised by adversity, for goodness sake, keep stroking. Don't quit, what- ever you do. If God made you a "patter," then keep on patting to the glory of God. (Chuck Swindoll, Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes, Encouragement, p 179)

We live in a world filled with "patting" opportunities. Ruffled feathers? They are all around us. If we are to encourage one another as the Bible instructs, that means we need to take the time to be a bystander every now and then. We need to be willing to stand on the sidelines and cheer and shout for all we are worth just so others may be thrust into the spotlight and given the motivating encouragement that they need to finish the race and overcome their own weaknesses and disabilities. Believe it or not, those kinds of situations are commonplace around us every day. There's that coworker, friend, child or spouse who could use a little nudge and a push today and your smile and kind words are just what they need to carry on. God's plan has a place for bystanders as well as warriors. There is no shame in standing on the sidelines.

We pray. Heavenly Father, we need to be willing to stand on the sidelines and cheer and shout for all we are worth just so others may be thrust into the spotlight and given the motivating encouragement that they need to finish the race and overcome their own weaknesses and disabilities. Forgive us Lord when we avoid these opportunities or miss them because we just are looking. We know that there are coworkers, friends, children even a spouse who could use a little nudge and a push today and our smile and kind words are just what they need to carry on. Your plan has a place for bystanders as well as warriors. Remind us Lord that there is no shame in standing on the sidelines. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

Bystanders?

By-standing? (01-28-22)– -Lifting Each Other Up!--1 Thessalonians 5:11

My friend, may I ask you a question? Sidelines. Did you ever stop to consider how important they are? Yet, if the playing field is where all the action is taking place, of what importance could the sidelines possibly be?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

Sidelines. Did you ever stop to consider how important they are? Yet, if the playing field is where all the action is taking place, of what importance could the sidelines possibly be?

If you have ever been a football player at the bottom of a tackling pile, a runner sprinting to the finish line or an athlete sprinting up and down the basketball court with a dribble, you know how important the sideline is. Even though every winning athlete is motivated from the heart to excel, in the end, without the support from the sidelines. it is often very difficult to maintain that level of excellence. You need the yells, the waves and the cheers to be fully motivated to go on.

But, being on the sidelines doesn't really seem to be much of an inspiring job, does it? Bye standing when you could be playing seems so trivial, so meaningless. Chuck Swidoll tells the story of a little boy who found he had a special gift. One day a bird hopped up to him and the boy reached down and touched its little head. The bird enjoyed the touch and actually let the lad stroke it several times before he hopped away again. Soon he found his "calling"–patting little birds on the head. The birds would approach, lower their little feathered pates to be patted, sigh deeply, and walk away satisfied. It brought him no end of fulfillment–in spite of the teasing he took from others. "What's wrong with patting birds on the head?" he wanted to know. "What's wrong with it?" his embarrassed friends replied. "No one else does it!" If your niche is encouraging, says Swindoll, please don't stop. If it is embracing, demonstrating warmth, compassion, and mercy to feathers that have been ruffled by offense and bruised by adversity, for goodness sake, keep stroking. Don't quit, what- ever you do. If God made you a "patter," then keep on patting to the glory of God. (Chuck Swindoll, Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes, Encouragement, p 179)

We live in a world filled with "patting" opportunities. Ruffled feathers? They are all around us. If we are to encourage one another as the Bible instructs, that means we need to take the time to be a bystander every now and then. We need to be willing to stand on the sidelines and cheer and shout for all we are worth just so others may be thrust into the spotlight and given the motivating encouragement that they need to finish the race and overcome their own weaknesses and disabilities. Believe it or not, those kinds of situations are commonplace around us every day. There's that coworker, friend, child or spouse who could use a little nudge and a push today and your smile and kind words are just what they need to carry on. God's plan has a place for bystanders as well as warriors. There is no shame in standing on the sidelines.

We pray. Heavenly Father, we need to be willing to stand on the sidelines and cheer and shout for all we are worth just so others may be thrust into the spotlight and given the motivating encouragement that they need to finish the race and overcome their own weaknesses and disabilities. Forgive us Lord when we avoid these opportunities or miss them because we just are looking. We know that there are coworkers, friends, children even a spouse who could use a little nudge and a push today and our smile and kind words are just what they need to carry on. Your plan has a place for bystanders as well as warriors. Remind us Lord that there is no shame in standing on the sidelines. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.