The Importance of Encouragement

I love working children, though many times it is quite a challenge. There is one particular little boy in my NBT class who has been more than a little difficult to deal with. He seems to be always doing something he's not supposed to, without even realizing it. Today I noticed that whenever my head teacher would mention that she was watching to see who was the quietest, the most still booster with the biggest smile, he would sit right up in his chair and give the biggest cheezy grin imaginable. He really was trying to be good today, but at first he seemed very discouraged about it. It occurred to me that, while we always pointed out when he was disobeying, we hadn't been pointing out when he was doing right. I began to praise him for any ways in which he was being good, and pretty soon, he was happy and interested in class, and behaving much better than he had been.

How many times do we neglect to encourage those around us, pointing out every fault, but ignoring everything good they are doing? A little encouragement can indeed go a long way, if only we will give it.

Sympathy

Last night at prayer meeting, one of the ladies we were praying with said that sometimes all people need is someone who knows how they feel.

Today I had to go to the bank. There's one teller that I always seem to get, and today was no exception. I noticed right away that his voice was funny, like he was sick or something. I mentioned it, and he told me that he had just found out that a good buddy of his had passed away the day before. He was obviously devastated, but he had to work anyway, and was determined to do his job.

I never know what to say in situations like this. I said I was sorry for his loss, but could think of no other way to help him but hurry through my business and leave him in peace. (Although, since he was the only teller open at that moment, peace is perhaps not the best word for it.)

I think he could see that I had sympathy for him, though, and after all, God did put me right there at that moment for a reason. I just hope I did what He meant me to!

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."
~Romans 12:15~

Freedom

With freedom comes responsibility.

I have been reminded of this principle recently as I have been driving myself places more often. It is such a blessing to have the ability to go places by myself, but I now have no excuse to put off those things which I have always said I wanted to do, but couldn't actually do because I had no way of getting there. I am now faced with the choice to either do what I ought to, or put it off. It is easy to say that I want to do what is right, but wanting to makes absolutely no difference unless I am willing to exert the effort to actually do it when the time comes.

"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
~James 4:17

I’m Welting!

No, the title is not a typo. : ) Mommy and I made up the word “welting” while we were out running errands last Friday. It is a combination of “wilting” and “melting”, and as it was a very warm day, and I had forgotten to bring some water with me, and we were driving the car that did not have air conditioning, it was not long into our afternoon of shopping before we were both “welting”.

The day after that terribly tiring trip, we had to do our annual day-before-the-recital-frantic-thrift-store-hopping-trying-to-find-a-dress-for-Gwennie shopping excursion. This time, I was resolved to have at least a somewhat more enjoyable trip and not die of exhaustion afterwards. : ) There are some helpful tips I have gleaned from several ladies over the years that make running errands during the summer much more pleasant, and I thought I would share them with you all.

If one is going to visit more than two stores, food and water are a necessity!
I once read somewhere that hungry shoppers purchase more unnecessary stuff than if they were not hungry. (I tested this out on my family members, and it seems to be quite true.) I also read that the sensation of hunger often accompanies thirst, and that if one is thirsty, he will often also feel hungry. So water is important, not only to keep you hydrated in the summer heat, but also to keep away the “munchy” feeling that can make you buy those extra things that you really don’t need –those things that, upon arriving home and unpacking your purchases, you look at and wonder, “why did I ever buy that?” : )

Bringing a cooler can make one’s trip much more pleasant.
If you’re going to be out for a while on a hot day, having something cold to drink is much better than having something that’s as hot as the car it’s been sitting in. : )

Know exactly what you need and stay focused!
Now, there are two kinds of stores to which this does not easily apply (at least for my family) –thrift stores and antique stores, since they are designed for browsing. : ) Other than that, it is much more efficient to keep on task, rather than spending all one’s time and energy on the first store or two, and being “shopped out” by the middle of one’s trip.

Two drivers are better than one.
Mommy and I usually do our errands together, because it is more efficient that way. This has the added benefit, however, of providing an extra driver, in case one of us gets tired and doesn’t want to drive.

Of course, the most obvious option for making summer shopping easier would be to start out in the morning, before it gets too warm.

Any other suggestions?