TIME TO LAUNCH

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the
shore.
—André Gide (1869–1951)

Decision is the spark that ignites action. Until a decision is made, nothing happens.
Decision is the courageous facing of issues, knowing that if they are not faced,
problems will remain forever unanswered.
—Wilferd Peterson (1900–1995)

O Lord, may I be directed what to do and what to leave undone.
—Elizabeth Fry (1780–1845)

God always gives his very best to those who leave the choice with him.
—James Hudson Taylor (1832–1905)

Don’t ask God to guide your footsteps unless you are willing to move your feet.
—Author unknown

Men are free to decide their own moral choices, but they are also under the necessity
to account to God for those choices.
—Aiden Tozer (1897–1963)

We make our decisions, and then our decisions turn around and make us.
—Frank Boreham (1871–1959)

“Sir, what is the secret of your success?” a reporter asked a bank president.
“Two words.”
“And, sir, what are they?”
“Good decisions.”
“And how do you make good decisions?”
“One word.”
“And sir, what is that?”
“Experience.”
“And how do you get experience?”
“Two words.”
“And, sir, what are they?”
“Bad decisions.”
—Author unknown

The deeper we go down into the valley of decision the higher we must rise … into the
mount of prayer.
—Peter Taylor Forsyth (1848–1921)

Never make a permanent decision based on a temporary storm. No matter how
raging the billows are today, remind yourself, “This too shall pass.”
—T. D. Jakes (b. 1957)

Men must be decided on what they will not do, and then they are able to act with vigor
in what they ought to do.
—Mencius (c. 372–289 BC)

Man is man because he is free to operate within the framework of his destiny. He is
free to deliberate, to make decisions, and to choose between alternatives.
—Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968)

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin.
—Mother Teresa (1910–1997)

Grant me, O Lord, to know what is worth knowing,
To love what is worth loving,
To praise what delights you most,
To value what is precious in your sight,
To hate what is offensive to you.
Do not let me judge by what I see,
Nor pass sentence according to what I hear,
But to judge rightly between things that differ,
And above all to search out and do what pleases you,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
—Thomas à Kempis (1380–1471)

FREE AGENTS

Have you ever been faced with important decisions and needed explicit direction,
only to feel as if God was in silent mode?—Right when you would most like Him to
give a precise answer? I know I have, and during those times, it’s been a spiritual
struggle. Once, while struggling with a decision, I so much wanted God to make the
path clear, but He, in His wisdom, chose not to give a direct answer. Instead, I
needed to forge ahead to do the pick-and-shovel work of investigating options,
seeking godly counsel, weighing the open doors of opportunity before me, praying
desperately, and most of all, committing my ways to Him. I had to trust that He would
direct my path in the manner of His choosing.

As Christians who want to glorify God through our lives, we want to learn to make
decisions and choices based on godly principles. Considering options, weighing
advantages and disadvantages, using our God-given wisdom, and measuring
situations by God’s Word are all part of loving God with all our minds, hearts, and
souls, in obedience to the first and greatest commandment.

Part of the stress and turmoil we often face in times of decision-making is the fear of
failure, the fear of missing God’s will, or the fear of making a decision that will
unforeseeably have a negative impact on ourselves or others. When it comes to
those important decisions that will define the course of our future, or at least our
immediate future, we learn through experience that sometimes, despite our best
intentions and desires, our decisions lead to unexpected negative outcomes and
consequences that we have to live with.

Because God has designed us as agents with free will, we have the capability of
making independent choices, and by the same token, we are personally responsible
for our decisions and their outcomes, and we must take responsibility for how things
play out, even if there are negative repercussions. We also have to trust that God has
promised to work everything together for the good of those who love Him, no matter
how things seem to turn out initially. He can even take our mistakes and the times
when we seem to have messed up our decision-making coordinates, and redirect our
course in ways that will be beneficial and lead us to His ultimate destination.

Unexpected bends in the road and unintended outcomes are part of life, no matter
how wise our decisions. We see throughout the Bible how often things turned out
differently than people expected or planned. When Moses set out for the Promised
Land, he probably didn’t foresee wandering in the desert for 40 years. And yet, he
didn’t waver or lose sight of the final destination; he kept pressing forward despite the
obstacles.

Even when we make right decisions, there is no guarantee of smooth sailing for the
duration of the journey. We will often continue to face pitfalls or setbacks along the
way, and these are part of the human experience and often serve to strengthen our
faith walk. As our heavenly Father, God knows that learning to make decisions and
take responsibility for their outcome—and all the lessons we learn on that journey—
are part of our spiritual growth and development.

As we commit our ways to Him and seek to please Him and do those things that are
pleasing in His sight, we can have confidence in our relationship with Him; we can
know that He will be present with us through all the decisions, small and great, that
face us throughout our lives.

“May the God of peace … equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he
produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing
to him.”

THE BROAD-LEAFED CACTUS

Walking along a narrow path in the tropical forest we often visit for a Sunday walk,
under the radiant early-morning African sun, I notice a magnificent cactus and stop to
take a closer look. The dark-green rubbery leaves are fat and oval and interspersed
with large pointed thorns. In contrast to the feisty exterior, tender blooms emerge
from the tips of some leaves. Shades of yellow and an intricate design make these
lovely flowers dazzle. How like Jesus’ presence after a thorny stretch of life’s journey.

Just like a flower appearing in the most unexpected circumstances, He reassures me
of His love and care.

Rounding the bend, we saw a flame tree stretching its leafy arms high above. Each
branch is crowned with a flaming orange-red flower, and the backdrop of the sky’s
cooling azure blue softens their flaming red. When the fierceness of danger,
sickness, or strife shoots flaming arrows my way, God, like the eternal cool blue sky,
calms each fear. Feelings of distress disappear as His presence shields me.

Then my favorite stretch of the trail passes under the shadow of regal bamboo plants.
Their broad stalks reach far above, forming a green arch over the trail, which
provides shelter from sun and rain. Jesus is my protector and shield, and when I find
myself in a tunnel, He is the light at the end of it.

The winding path now leads down a slope toward a brook. Since there is no bridge,
local farmers have placed two logs over the stream. As we balance along the trunks,
I am reminded that Jesus has provided stepping stones in His Word.

A steep incline leads to the road. Breathless and sweaty, we reach the top. To help
me over the last boulder, my friend reaches down, grabs hold of my hand, and pulls
me up. Jesus is at the other end of each prayer and lends a helping hand through a
friend, a spouse, or even a stranger.

At the top of the hill, a refreshing cool breeze fans our sweaty brows, which energizes
us instantly. A breathtaking view unfolds in front of us, with a range of blue mountains
in the distance. Jesus is a cool breeze that brings respite after each challenge, giving
new hope and strength to carry on.

Jesus is my rock—strong, dependable, unmovable, unchangeable, and eternal.

GOD’S GPS

Technological developments can help us understand a bit more about God and how
He manages His affairs. For example, prayer can be illustrated by the cell phone,
used to immediately communicate with someone on the other side of the world.

Computers are capable of storing and processing every bit of a company’s
information. This helps us understand how God knows us so well that the Bible says
that even our very hairs are numbered.

One of the miracles in the Bible that has always caught my attention is the one where
Jesus tells Peter to catch a fish and take out of its mouth a coin needed to pay a tax.
A similar miracle occurs when He tells His disciples to go to a neighboring town to
find the donkey that He would ride on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. How did
Jesus know where and when His disciples would find the right fish and donkey?

I have often seen God’s GPS at work in my life. He’s often guided me to something
that I’d lost, or to meet a certain person, or to find a place. And many times it’s not
only the right place, but also the precise moment.

My wife and I recently prayed to find a mechanic who was qualified to do some
specialized work on our motor home. We were traveling through little coastal towns,
and we’d been told that we needed to have our engine checked, but that it had to be
done by a mechanic certified in that particular model. In one village, I unexpectedly
felt an impulse to drive down a certain street. Nothing caught our attention along the
way, so we followed the street to the end, when suddenly a man came out to meet us
and said, “You came here because of the GPS pin, right?” Taken aback, we asked
him what he meant.

He explained that he was a mechanic who specialized in motor homes. Recently a
man who is traveling round the world had some work done there and ended up so
satisfied that he dedicated a blog entry to the incident … and included the GPS
coordinates so that anyone traveling in a similar motor home would be able to find the
place.

We don’t use GPS, but we had been led to the exact location. “Your ears shall hear a
word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”

HIS DESIRE, HIS PLAN, OUR HAPPINESS

We all need to make decisions as we navigate through life. Depending on our nature,
we might love figuring it all out or it might scare us. For most of us, it’s probably a bit
of both.

Personally, I don’t like making decisions. Twice in my adult life I’ve broken down and
cried in a food court because there were just too many choices of what to eat for
lunch. How sad is that?! If my husband and kids would go along with me, I’d eat the
same thing every day simply to avoid having to decide what to prepare. And this says
nothing for the bigger choices in life, like where to live, what career choices to make,
how to spend my money, and many other things.

At the end of the day, my life will be a collection of my choices and the resultant
consequences, good and bad. For me, this realization highlights two things:
1. I really need God’s help.

2. I also need a plan.

The beauty in all of this is that God is eager to be an active participant if I will allow
Him to. If I acknowledge Him, He will direct my path. If His Word is in my heart, none
of my steps will slide. If I hold up His Word, it will be a light to my path and show me
the way to go. God’s got His part squared away, so what about mine?

A good place to start is to study God’s Word and the standard He’s given us to live
by. God’s Word is like reflectors on a dark road. The reflectors show you the divide
between the lanes, so you don’t veer into oncoming traffic, and they show you the
edge of the road, so you don’t drop off into a ravine. Knowing God’s Word gives you a
set of boundaries and provides guidance to help keep you on course.

Sometimes it’s really simple: I know God’s Word tells me to be loving and kind, so
asking a question like “What’s the loving thing to do?” can reveal the obvious best
choice. But sometimes it’s more complicated, like when all options fall within God’s
will, or when I have a strong personal feeling about a situation which affects my
decision-making process. It can be difficult to come to a decision that we can be at
peace with. But remember that the Bible says He will direct our paths if we
acknowledge Him, so we can expectHis help and guidance if we ask for it.

Have you heard the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably
end up somewhere else”? God’s Word assumes we’ve made plans: “May he grant
you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.”

Naturally, just because we have a plan—and even if it aligns with God’s plan—
doesn’t mean that it will materialize instantaneously, or without struggle or challenge.
If your path is anything like mine, it’s not a straight shot. However, having a general
plan, goal, or destination helps me as I make daily choices along my path.

When I come to a fork in the road, my plan helps me know which path to take. When I
feel alone in my journey, it helps me remember that I chose this path because of
where it would take me. When other paths seem easier, or for some other reason
entice me, I remember that this destination is the desire of my heart.

God has a unique plan for each of our lives. Since God created us in His image with
free will to make decisions, we get to be active participants in determining and
pursuing that plan. If you already know where you’re going, stay close to God’s Word
and let it guide you along the path. If you aren’t sure where you’re going, focus on
living as God’s Word teaches us to, and God will put His plan in your heart. Once His
plan, His desire, is in your heart, you will know what to do.

LOST IN MY HOMETOWN

I thought the move was going to be a simple change of scenery, possibly requiring some minor adjustments at most. After all, I was returning to my home country, already knowing the language, people, and customs. If I had managed to get used to the scorching heat, spicy food, rickshaws, and monsoons of India and Nepal, where I had spent eight years as a volunteer, surely this move in the opposite direction wouldn’t be too difficult.

I was in for a surprise!

From the moment I landed back in Italy, on what was supposed to be familiar ground, the challenges began: a sense of awkwardness, like I no longer belonged there, needing to catch up with changes in society, along with some serious health problems and concerns about the future. I got dizzy entering a superstore and dreaded traveling on fast highways. A friend reassured me, saying I was probably experiencing culture shock. It helped to put a handle on this very confusing mental and physical state.

At one point, I found myself in the hospital preparing to undergo a delicate operation. I had lost all confidence in the strong person I’d felt myself to be, and I was scared.

Thankfully, it was during those lonely hours lying on my hospital bed, weak and hurting, that I was able to reconnect with heaven. I had a small New Testament with me and another devotional book that I started reading with desperation, as if my whole life depended on those words.

It brought me back to life spiritually and to new beginnings. Every word in my little books was jumping out of the pages, filling my soul with a newfound sense of clarity and direction.

By the time I left the hospital, my body was still aching, but my heart and spirit weren’t the same.

I slowly gained strength, a little more each day, and eventually went on to another fulfilling phase in my life.

Every time I look back at that very trying and debilitating period, I’m thankful I “got lost” for a while, as it renewed my passion and prepared me for my next job.

OUR CONSTANT

Ask anyone, and they’ll agree that today’s world is very different from the one our parents and grandparents knew. The funny thing is that the feeling is not new by any means. “The cause of the … increase in nervous disease is increased demand made by the conditions of modern life,” affirmed an article published at the end of the 19th century! “The dreamy quiet old days are over,” lamented William Smith nearly 130 years ago. “The hurry and bustle of modern life … lacks the quiet and repose of the period when our forefathers … took their ease.”

Besides the world constantly changing, our lives also go through seasons that bring different sets of challenges and opportunities. We cope with stresses and make decisions to the best of our abilities, but we can’t know what the future holds, and past performance is no guarantee of future success. We might often feel, somewhat like the authors above, that we’d be better off if we could slow down the clock.

When everything in life seems to be changing, making us feel anxious, lost, or as though life is a terrifying journey through uncharted territory, we can rely on our unchanging God. He is constant. He is the same today as He was when He walked the earth, and He will be the same tomorrow. “The Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.”

Even though we don’t know what the future holds for us, come what may, it is impossible for God to leave us alone or to fail us when we needHim.“ The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer … my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

A CHILD’S CHOICE

It was 1996, and our family had just moved from the safety of Italy to a somewhat still troubled and unstable post-war Croatia, settling in a large apartment on the outskirts of Rijeka.

Our neighbors—a mix of refugees, widows, and elderly relatives caring for children whose parents had died or left to find work—had all gone through traumatic experiences as a result of the tragic conflicts that had only recently ended.

Ivan lived on the floor below ours. He wore a patch over one eye, he couldn’t hear well, and he also suffered from extremely strong headaches due to a piece of shrapnel in his brain that the doctors couldn’t operate on.

Ivan had a wife and two daughters, but it was easy to see that he was finding it challenging to adjust to family life. He was no longer the strong man beaming in the photos in his living room, but a broken soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who spent most of his time caring for his kids or looking pensively at the horizon.

My youngest son, Jeff, who was five at the time, was a bit scared of our neighbor—and I wasn’t sure what to think myself. I realized that I never really spoke to Ivan, due to my limited knowledge of Croatian at the time, but also because I didn’t know how to face such obvious suffering.

One day, I explained to Jeff about what our poor neighbor was going through and the reason he wore a patch. I taught him to say, “Molim za vas,” “I’m praying for you” in Croatian, and suggested that he say that to Ivan that next time we saw him.

I won’t forget that moment the next time we met Ivan, when this fierce-looking man bent down to hear what a small five-year-old whispered in his ear. Then he straightened, and I could see tears trickling down his face as he whispered “Thank you.”

From that moment on, Ivan and Jeff became good friends, and we often visited to sing songs, read God’s Word, and simply keep him company.

Ivan passed away not long after. He had been struggling with a lot of physical illnesses and discouragement, but in his final years he found solace and comfort in Jesus.
Jeff is now a grown man and a father himself, but I still fondly remember that day my little boy made the choice to replace fear with love.

THE VIPS

There are times in life when we each feel like an anonymous unknown. It’s a discouraging realization. You’re a statistic—a woman or a man, over forty or under forty, single or married, able-bodied or disabled. Every so often, you put your vote in the ballot box and wonder if it makes a difference. If you didn’t show up to work today, you wonder if anyone (apart from the payroll department) would even notice. Not many achieve the type of fame that would make us stand out in the mass of humanity. And even if we do, fame is lean comfort in difficult times, and usually transitory.

The reality is that few of us feel like Very Important Persons (VIPs), much less are viewed that way by the world at large.

Perhaps this was how Nathanael felt, living in first-century Palestine under the shadow of a brutal military occupation. We’re not told why he was sitting alone under a fig tree—maybe he was reflecting on his powerlessness to change anything; maybe he was in prayer. At any rate, his friend Philip finds him and shares some good news—they have found the Messiah. Nathanael agrees to come and meet Jesus. The conversation bears repeating:

As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”

“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

Nathanael is astonished to find out that God has been watching him. It is the realization that God knows him that inspires him to proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God and become an enthusiastic follower.

Even when nobody else seems to be thinking about us, God certainly is! He’s been watching over us our entire lives, even before we were born, and will continue all the way through. Job reflected on this while in the midst of his troubles: “He keeps a close watch on everything I do.”
God not only thinks about us, He admires us: “There will be recognition for each person from God,” and “God will rejoice because of you.”
We are not unknown to God. He knows you and me by name. Not mere statistics, but valued. You and me—God’s VIPs.

BUNDLES OF LOVE

Our neighbor, Mr. Chen, enthusiastically returned my “Good morning,” adding a heartfelt, “Isn’t the weather great today!” As I watched him walk on with a spring in his step and a beaming smile that eclipsed his graying hair and wrinkles, I couldn’t help but marvel. Until recently, Mr. Chen had barely acknowledged my greetings, and he rarely smiled or talked to anyone. Chronic health struggles had left their mark in the depressed frown, slumped shoulders, and slow gait that seemed to characterize him. What could have brought about this wonderful change?

When I told my sister about this, she replied that his daughter had recently become a mother. “He’s rejoicing over his new grandson!” she said. I shook my head in awe at how much fulfillment, joy, and purpose a helpless, screaming infant had brought to Mr. Chen.

Mr. Chen’s transformation reminded me of what a bundle of joy and inspiration my cousin Katie has been to my grandmother. A year ago, a massive stroke took a severe toll on Grandma’s memory capacity, communication skills, and mobility. Chronic headaches and discomforts, and the resultant discouragement and frustration, left her silent, sullen, and sedentary. She began spending her waking hours dozing in a chair or watching television, and any efforts to talk to her were met with disinterest.

Then Katie was born. Even when Katie was only a few days old, Grandma spent hours leaning over her crib, rocking her, listening to her coo, and playing with her tiny fingers. When she was a year old, Katie would sit on Grandma’s lap and share her toys with her. Now at two years old, she loves to clasp Grandma’s wrinkled hand in her tiny pudgy one and pull her outside for a walk.

Grandma’s physical condition hasn’t improved, but Katie still makes her smile, talk, and even laugh. There is truly something magical about children’s love and innocence and their ability to melt and cheer hearts in ways that grown-ups can’t, just as Mr. Chen’s grandson touched him and Katie touched Grandma.

Baby Blessings
Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.—Proverbs 17:6

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.—Psalm 127:3

The soul is healed by being with children.—English proverb

DURIAN PEOPLE

What makes people crave a fruit like durian? Why do they light up when they see clumps of those prickly, greenish-brown husks hanging liberally from vendor stalls? How do they get past the pungent, even revolting, odor? What makes them fight their way through the thick, prickly outer husk in order to reach the inside?
The reason is that they’ve fallen in love with what’s inside. They know that inside the prickly outer shell, past the foul smell, there is an exquisite center.

Loving people and seeing the good and possibilities in others can sometimes be similar to getting to the heart of a durian. People can be prickly. They can have thick, crusty outer shells. Their presence can repel rather than attract. People can be stinky—when they do and say stinky things, or when they sin, as everyone does at times. But those barriers merely add to the challenge of reaching that sweet center of the inner person.

Durian is the king of fruits to some. Likewise, human beings are God’s crowning creations on earth—each one possessing a heart and soul that is more valuable and precious than all this world has to offer. Anyone who has truly looked inside another’s heart has seen great potential. Therein lies good. Therein lies possibility that just needs to be believed in and highlighted.

Everyone needs friends and family who love them, who know that there is good and possibility deep inside of them, and who are willing to work at it to reach that beautiful center.

Charles Schwab, the successful businessman, said, “I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.”

Everyone wants and needs to be affirmed for his accomplishments. A little boy playing darts with his father said, “Let’s play darts. I’ll throw and you say ‘Wonderful!’” That’s what the [encouraging] person does for others.

We tend to become what the most important person in our life thinks we will become. Think the best, believe the best, and express the best in others. Your affirmation will not only make you more attractive to them, but you will help play an important part in their personal development.

DARE TO DREAM

“I had seen that man before and now he was sitting in the snow outside the stadium [in Madrid]. I asked him what he was doing there. He said he’d been there for five hours, hoping for a chance to see the game, but his money had run out. That’s when I knew I had to help.” This is how José Mourinho, then coach for Real Madrid football (soccer) team, described his meeting with Abel Rodríguez, a Mexican-American who waxes floors in Los Angeles.

Rodríguez had first met Mourinho in the U.S. several years earlier when Real was on a training campaign and needed a volunteer to carry water for the players. It wasn’t a paid task, but Rodríguez was happy to help, and that’s when he decided he had to see a real game. He saved money for the plane fare, flew out, and hoped for the best.—And it was “hope,” because he neither had a ticket for the match nor anywhere to stay.

It paid off. After their encounter, Mourinho put up Rodríguez in the same hotel as the players, all expenses paid. He proceeded to give him a paid job as kit man for an upcoming Champions League match against Manchester United, which meant Rodríguez flew with the team to England as a staff member.

“We must help each other to live our dreams,” said Mourinho.
When I first heard about this incident, I was impressed. Mourinho has a reputation as a tough character. He never seems to miss an opportunity to ridicule his opponents, and he comes across as proud and harsh. Yet, when faced with this man’s dreams, his heart was touched. It shows that deep down we may be quite different from the image we project.

Then there is the faith of the cleaner. How could he have flown across the world with hardly any money, expecting to manage to see a game in one of the world’s biggest soccer stadiums? That seems rather ridiculous.

Irresponsible, actually. Dreamers do crazy things that average people might never attempt. But in following his dream, Rodríguez ended up with a unique and inspiring story to tell.

If people can dream big dreams for things in this life that have little eternal value, how much more should we, as God’s children, dream big and do as much good as we can in a world that is desperate for love and recognition.

PASS IT ON

I believe that God wants to encourage people, but often He needs us to do it. And, believe it or not, we do have what others need. We have God’s Holy Spirit and His words of love! Our life can be influential because of the power of our words. Our words don’t need to be profound or eloquent—just simple words that meet a person’s need for love, hope, significance, or comfort.

If you feel like you have no time, no energy, no expertise, or little to give, don’t worry; that’s common to many of us. But we can all give through our words of encouragement, through which our lives can have influence, and we can spread God’s love wherever we go. In just five minutes or less, we can make a difference at a bus stop, on the metro, at the shop, at work, at school, online, going for a walk, and the list goes on.

Here are some questions we can ask ourselves: What can I say to this person that will help them in some way, lift their spirits, brighten their day, make them feel appreciated, valued, and worthwhile? How can I leave this person feeling good about themselves, that what they’re doing counts? Then let’s ask God to give us the faith to say whatever He lays on our hearts.

THE PRISONER

The prisoner dictated a letter to some of his dearest friends hundreds of miles away in another country. He told them that he was in chains—most likely chained to his jailer, as that was the custom of the time. Ironically, he had previously also been jailed in the city in which his friends lived. On that occasion he had been beaten and imprisoned—illegally, it turned out—in the city’s most secure cell. He was considered an atheist and a rabble-rouser, and was well known to authorities throughout the empire, who were glad to get him off the streets whenever they could.

It hadn’t always been that way. There had been a time when he was dedicated to enforcing the law. He had even been an officially sanctioned vigilante who went about brutally clearing his area of miscreants—men, women, and children alike. That had been a task he relished. But that had been long ago. Now he was on the other side of the fence, and his former colleagues were complicit in his censure and imprisonment.

The apostle Paul knew his life was in the balance. It was either death or freedom for him—it seemed no other options were even being considered. He had been held under a sort of house arrest for a while, but no longer; and his new jailers, drawn from the ranks of the Praetorian Guard, were particularly tough. In any case, the wheels of Roman justice were turning exceedingly slowly. His dear friends in Philippi were worried about him and had sent money toward his upkeep. Some were old legionaries who knew how the Roman system worked, how tough and often unfair it was. So Paul was writing to reassure them that God had everything under control.

The Philippians were some of his favorite people, it seems. He wrote tenderly to them, encouragingly, telling them to look on the bright side. If this was his time to die, he would go to be with the Lord; and if he was freed, that was good too, because then he could come and see them again. He said he couldn’t make up his mind which was better. He had committed all into God’s hands and had received peace in return. His words are immortal and they resonate with all believers:

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. …

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

10 PRINCIPLES OF PEOPLE-BUILDING

Be a people-builder by supporting others. These tips can help.

1. Build up excellence: Think of at least one thing that you find outstanding in someone, and then let them know how excellent they are in that specific way.

2. Give responsibility: Try to help others feel trusted, needed, and appreciated for their obvious strengths. If you’re in a position of authority, you can try to give others responsibility. If you’re leading a team or managing a project, you can encourage the quieter members by asking their opinions. Share decision-making authority as much as possible.

3. Appreciate people for who they are: Being appreciated for what we do is important, but being appreciated for who we are is even more vital.

4. Slow down: It takes time to see people in a true light. It takes slowing down hasty, superficial assumptions. Go slower in your interactions with people and allow God to show you how He sees them.

5. Pause to consider :Think of the positive ways someone has helped you. Think about the good a person has done. Appreciate them.

6. Let go of the past: Be willing to see who the person is today, or the potential of what they can be tomorrow, and don’t let your positive expectations of them today be marred by your past experiences.

7. Extend mercy: Everyone makes mistakes, forgets things, messes up sometimes. How do you want to be treated when you fail? That’s how you should treat others.

8. Drop the labels: Think of how you dislike being labeled. Labels and classifications put people in boxes that can limit their progress. Try to support and encourage others to go further than they’ve gone before.

9. Be there: Sometimes all that someone needs is a listening ear. Whether a coworker or colleague, friend, or family member, be ready to hear them out.

10. Support them in prayer: A little effort behind the scenes can have a great impact; we can help others through our prayers.

Cultivate the qualities you desire in a friend, because someone is looking for you as their friend.—Unknown

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.—Og Mandino (1923–1996)

CRUMPLED AND DIRTY

For some time, we’ve been putting on benefit shows in our beautiful city of Granada, Spain. On a particular occasion, we performed at a residence for senior citizens. After the usual dances, songs, and puppet show, I decided to end with an illustration about value. This is how it went:

“Supposing that I offered to give this away,” I asked the audience, showing them a €20 banknote, “who would want it?”

Everyone raised their hand.

“And if I did this?” I crumpled the bill and repeated the question. Everyone’s hands stayed up.

Then I threw the bill on the ground and stepped on it. I picked it up and asked, “And now?”

A few fussy souls abstained, but the majority continued to raise their hands.

“Let’s remember that we are like this bill. Sometimes life will rough us up and get us dirty, but in God’s eyes, we never lose our value as individuals.” I was moved by the applause, but the best was yet to come.

At the end of the show, as we were packing up the equipment, a woman approached me and asked if we could talk in private. We moved to an adjoining room and with tears in her eyes she tightly squeezed my hands, thanking me over and over, and saying, “My children brought me here and forgot about me. Now they never visit. But today you came and reminded me of something very important—I am this euro bill.”

This reminded me of a Bible passage: “Even if my sons and daughters abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”

If in the course of life, we stumble and fall, or things work out in a way that we end up feeling like that battered €20 banknote, let’s not forget the moral of the story: No matter how crumpled or dirty we are, in God’s eyes we still hold inestimable value.

Treat a man as he appears to be, and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be.—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832)

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.—Barbara De Angelis (b. 1951)

Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.—Mark Twain (1835–1910)

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.—Aesop (c. 620–564 BC)

WITHOUT PRICE

More people fail for lack of encouragement than for any other reason.
—Author unknown

The finest gift you can give anyone is encouragement. Yet, almost no one gets the encouragement they need to grow to their full potential. If everyone received the encouragement they need to grow, the genius in most everyone would blossom and the world would produce abundance beyond our wildest dreams.
—Sidney Madwed (b. 1948)

We should readily and liberally give the gift of showing faith in others. As many of us can testify from personal experience, it’s been God’s and others’ faith in us, and their seeing the good in us, that has helped us to reach success after moments of despair and times when we’ve questioned our self-worth.

A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.
—William Ward (1921–1994)

Trustworthy friends are a strong shelter; whoever finds one has found a treasure.
Trustworthy friends have no price, and no one can estimate their worth.
Trustworthy friends are life’s medicine, and those who fear the Lord will find them.
—Sirach 6:14–16 CEB

A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.
—William Penn (1644–1718)

THE BOY SITTING NEXT TO ME

This should be easy, I thought as I prepared to enter high school. I didn’t expect to have any problems making friends or interacting with my classmates. Unfortunately, my confidence was shattered on the very first day of school, when I met the boy seated next to me in class.

Sean was about my height but twice my weight. He was careless in his studies, never studied for exams, and yelled and cursed at teachers and students alike. He bragged endlessly about the violent computer games he played, and their influence was evident in his angry, destructive behavior. I quickly started wishing I didn’t have to sit next to him.

Weeks passed, and Sean seemed to go from bad to worse. He failed nearly every exam, got into fights daily with other classmates, and made no friends. I did my best to be polite but kept my distance.

One day at lunch hour, the seat beside Sean was the last vacant one in the cafeteria. I reluctantly sat down, and we got to talking. During the short conversation that followed, I found out that Sean’s father had died when he was very young, and that his mother worked long hours on a night shift. Consequently, he was home alone most evenings and only got to spend time with her on weekends.

I was ashamed of my harsh judgmental attitudes and determined to reach out to Sean, even though that went against my natural inclinations.

At first, my attempts were only met with mocking refusals and deriding curses. I learned that Sean had been the brunt of ruthless bullying in the past, so it seemed that in order to protect himself, he had developed a very hard and unfeeling exterior. It was a struggle to include him whenever we picked teams, and it was tough trying to befriend him when my efforts were only rewarded with snide remarks. I was often tempted to get angry and wondered if he was worth my trouble.

As the months went by, however, Sean gradually grew friendlier. Then one morning, over four months after that initial conversation in the cafeteria, Sean insisted on pairing up with me for a class activity. I was shocked.

“You’re always saying you never want to see me again,” I told him.
“That’s not true!” he replied, smiling broadly. “You’re my only friend—the one person who cares about me. I want us to always be friends.”
That day, I not only gained a friendship that is ongoing, but I also discovered a precious truth: Regardless of how a person acts, looks, or behaves, everyone wants and needs love and acceptance. Beneath the rocky surface of a person’s hard exterior is often a bud waiting to blossom.

Kind words and loving deeds are to human hearts what sunshine is to flowers. It can take days, weeks, or sometimes even months or years for the results of our efforts to be rewarded, but one day that person will blossom.

When Jesus said to “love your neighbor,”1 He wasn’t just talking about the person living next door. He wants us to share His love with anyone who needs our attention and care, whether it’s the postman, the cleaning lady, the clerk at the counter, or the school bully sitting next to us.

A LESSON FROM ORCHIDS

Today would have been my daughter Rejoice’s birthday. It’s our custom to celebrate this day every year since she passed away by remembering some of the special moments she shared with us.

This year, mine is the orchid story.

At the time, Rejoice was living in Osaka, Japan, with her husband and five children. One winter day as she was outside tending to her garden, she saw her neighbor take out a pot that held the straggly remains of a plant.
“It was once a beautiful orchid,” her neighbor said with a sigh, “—a birthday gift from my children, but now it’s all shriveled up.”

“Do you mind if I have a go at it?” Rejoice asked.

Her neighbor was happy to get rid of it, so Rejoice took the pot and tended it for three years, regularly watering and fertilizing the unresponsive plant. She researched what light, temperature, and water conditions suited orchids best, but nothing seemed to get any results. Over those three years, everyone who saw the plant advised her to give up and toss it out. It was clearly dead and just taking up space.

Instead, Rejoice persevered, and one morning during the fourth year, a beautiful blossom suddenly appeared. My wife and I happened to be visiting at the time, and I took a photo.

Her patience and tender care in this simple matter spoke volumes to me about having a long-term vision and not giving up when I don’t see immediate results for my efforts. Persevering takes faith and an eye to see the possibilities that others can’t.

How many people have been given up on by others as hopeless cases? Yet if they receive the love and care they need, what a beautiful blossom their life can become. I hope to grow in having the patience, vision, and faith to see the potential in others, then to help nurture and develop it, so they too can blossom one day.

Cultivate an optimistic mind, use your imagination, always consider alternatives, and dare to believe that you can make possible what others think is impossible.—Rodolfo Costa

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.—Alfred Austin (1835–1913)