Encouragement Through our Presence

Last Thursday I had a tough day at work. Problems arose one after another, and when I reached home I felt completely exhausted (Had any days like that lately?) When I checked the weather forecast it predicted heavy rain from Friday on that was supposed to last throughout the weekend. I had no choice but to cut my grass that day. As we live in the country on 1 1/2 acres of land, we have a 48 inch tractor to help perform this task. I generally love to cut the lawn, but not today!

As I was preparing myself for the chore, a cheerful voice called out excitedly: "Papa, papa, can I help you cut the grass today?". My nine year old son was jumping up and down with anticipation. For some reason this flooded me with relief . I wouldn't have to do this task alone! So we headed for our tractor. As I sat down, he joined me on my lap and off we went to the adventure of our life.

Every time we came to an obstacle (a branch blown off from a tree by the wind, toys that the dog chews up and spreads around, fascinating objects from my kid's sandbox . . . Stuff like that!), my son eagerly jumped off my lap and threw it out of our way. After awhile, I let him steer, only helping him a little during the turns. Overall, instead of the chore I had anticipated, this turned into a fun-filled adventure.

Although the tractor, like any other machine of its kind, makes a lot of noise, my son was eagerly chatting and telling me all about his day. Though I couldn't understand him most of the time, his cheerful presence filled my inner being with joy and relief from the stress that had been accumulating there. My spirits began to lift, and I actually began to feel joyful!

When we came close to the willow tree we had planted 4 years ago from a branch that had fallen on the ground, my son wanted me to stop the tractor. He jumped off and hugged the tree tenderly. He did the same with his favourite fruit tree: his pear tree. It just looked so much like something I might have done that it made me feel even better. My son and I have so much in common!

Then I got stuck in mud. We were way out at the back of the property, and no matter what we tried to do, the mud rose higher and higher. It almost seemed like quick mud! As we prayed, the solution to the problem came to us. My son needed to steer the tractor (his body weight was finally heavy enough to keep the tractor running), while I pushed from the back of the tractor. We laughed and laughed as we finally succeeded in getting ourselves free of that murderous mud!

Then I realized that just like we had finally managed to free that tractor, My son had succeeded in lifting me up from the mire clay of work stress. By just being himself and wanting to help his papa, he had brought me some needed relief. As a result, the rest of the evening was filled with inner peace. My son turned my stress-filled day into a beautiful sunset filled with warm sunrays.

My friend, you can make this kind of an impact on the lives of others as well. Just being there for someone may bring much needed relief to the stress that person is going through. In a world gone mad with stress-filled activities and time being robbed with the many daily tasks we are facing, you can make a difference in someone's life through your presence.

Prov 13:17 "A faithful ambassador brings healing." AMP Being an ambassador from God you will bring healing to the inner turmoils of individuals, just by being there for them. Let us learn from the exciting eagerness from a young one. "Papa, papa, can I help you cut the grass today?"

Rob Chaffart

Encouragement Through our Presence

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