I have learned a few things along the way. One of the things I have learned is that God has gracious people. The longer I walk this road of life, the more and more I find that to be true. God has gracious people.
Now, I know that most of us have probably run into people that go by the name of Christian and they are anything but gracious. Unfortunately, there are people that are downright mean. It seems that some folks get pleasure from your pain. I wish that none of us had ever been exposed to anyone like that.
Let me tell you what I do with people who seem to get giddy by watching or even causing the suffering of other Christians. I decided many years ago not to pay any attention to people like that at all. They are not worth my time and they will bring me nothing but pain. I do not have to let them into my life.
One of the greatest things you and I can ever do is to know when and where to set up boundaries. We must know when to shut some people off and prevent them from getting close enough to hurt us and our families again. It is perfectly fine to ignore some people.
Once I learned to do that, I found that I had more time to look for people in my life that were gracious. When I looked around me with fresh eyes, I found that God has gracious people EVERYWHERE!
Praise God for gracious people. The more that I realized the graciousness of God's people, the more I wanted to endeavor to be a gracious person myself. It is not only really cool when someone goes out of their way to encourage me, it is also really cool to go out of my way to encourage someone else!
Since I have been making a concerted effort to be gracious and have been looking for gracious people for the last many years, I have found them in the midst of every difficult season. Often they came with handfuls on purpose like Boaz ordered to be left for Ruth. We have been blessed by encouraging words, uplifting actions and incredible kindnesses.
Many of those gracious people have become lifelong friends. We can not even imagine living without them now. Gracious people that were God sent and God ordained, propped us up, strengthened our feeble knees, lifted our hands and our heads until our own strength returned.
In this current season, we are overwhelmed by gracious people. God has been so good to us by sending us the comfort, cheer and reassurance we have needed. Sometimes it was a card in the mail, a text message, a voicemail or a phone call right on time with the right words and delivered with the right spirit.
Thank you, friends. Thank you to all you gracious people. May God bless every single one of you!
Thank you for reading today. If you are in need of a kind word, let me offer one. God loves you, friend. God is invested in you. God is going to help you. You may be facing the very worst time in your life and my words may seem empty to you. My words may be empty and meaningless, but God's Word is powerful and true.
He said that He will never leave you nor forsake you, but He will go with you all the way, even to the end of the world. He is your strength and your shield and your help and your healing and your deliverer! God is your very present help in trouble!
Reach for Him, my dear friend. Call on Him. Tell Him that He is your only option. I believe there are gracious people that will be God's hands and feet to reach you and to help you. He has proven Himself to me and He will do the same for you.
May God bless you, dear friends.
Davy
