Recently I went on a
job interview at an office in another town.
Usually you can tell if the interview is going well or not, and I felt
this one was “a winner”. The
man I interviewed with was a total stranger, but he was very encouraging and
kind in our discussions.
After two days of praying, discussing with my husband, considering all the positives and negatives, I made the decision to turn down the job. It was a hard one, but I really felt at peace about my decision and knew it was the right thing to do for now. When I called back to decline the job, again my prospective employer was kind and one of the final things he said was, “The people you work with now don’t know how lucky they are to have someone as positive and pleasant to work with as you are.”
I don’t tell this story to pat myself on the back or to gain any kind of recognition. I tell this story because what he said really hit home with me. Have I been missing what God has planned for me? Maybe God has me in this place right now to bring some joy, light and encouragement to those around me? I have been so concerned about myself and my future that I didn’t really consider how I could make a positive impact on a negative situation. I felt encouraged by the kind things this total stranger had said to me, not considering I could have the same impact on those I work with every single day!
Encouragement shouldn’t come from a total stranger; it should come from those closest to us – our family, friends, AND co-workers. Take the time to say something nice to someone around you today. Give encouragement to a child, teenager, or senior citizen. Be positive in all you say and do. Even the smallest act of kindness or encouragement could have a life-changing effect for someone. We don’t and can’t know these things-but God does.
God really hit me over the head with this one. I should have been listening to him before now. I will be listening to Him in the future!