The Power of Presence

Encouragement comes in different ways. You don't have to say much to encourage someone. Many times what is needed to encourage someone else is just your presence. A hand on the shoulder or a pat on the back letting someone know that you are there for them is enough to encourage the heart.

I have always believed that a person knows when they have messed up. It doesn't take a long lecture to let someone know that they are in trouble. The real question is, "How do you encourage the heart for transformation?" One key answer is the power of presence.

 A minister had been called to a parishioners home. The minister dreaded the visit because the family had just lost a teenage son to a horrible car accident. The minister did not know what to say because the parishioner had been a long-time friend. When the minister knocked, the parishioner opened the door, looked at the minister, and smiled with a sense of relief. The minister had not spoken a word. The minister had with him his favorite pillow indicating to the parishioner that he would be with him for as long as he was needed. The minister sat with the parishioner and the family for hours, not really saying a word.

Later that evening the family told the minister that he was such a great source of encouragement. How could the man be a source of encouragement when he hadn't said much the entire evening? Simple...the power of presence. You don't have to say much to encourage someone. Just be there. Your presence will bring encouragement and assurance that someone cares.

So let me ask you, who have you encouraged lately? You don't have to look far to see someone who needs encouragement. Try looking beyond yourself. I know that you will find someone who needs to be encouraged. Take the challenge and change your world one person at a time through the power of encouragement.

Be Encouraged,
Rick