Steve Herman
Stepping from the hotel into a taxi, I was prepared for the short disruption of my thoughts by pleasantries with the driver. The drive to the airport was short, 3.8 miles to be exact. The conversation was going to be shorter, so I assumed.
Chuck was friendly and his honesty changed my thinking about how much I could learn, and would learn in less than 4 miles. Chuck was 58, a long-time taxi driver in a city that he claimed had changed greatly and for the worse. He didn’t enjoy the work anymore but it was all he knew having lived and driven that city’s streets for years.
Chuck was divorced from his second wife, he lived alone, but his kids lived close by and his daughter had children. He was a grandfather and loved his role and place in the family. When he wasn’t driving, or spending time with his daughter and grandkids, he sat home and watched television. Despite a city known for never going to sleep, I sensed that life was somewhat hopeless for Chuck. Suddenly, 3.8 miles needed to be 38 miles.
We arrived at the airport, the conversation dwindled. I don’t recall finishing our conversation with any sort of profound statement. I am not sure I planted seeds of faith that someone else might water and cultivate. What I learned, and what I know, is that I somehow connected with Chuck in a few short minutes.
As time fades my memory of our conversation, a lesson reinforced from that moment in time is when the opportunity presents itself God calls us to invest in peoples’ lives. Proverbs 11:25 states “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed”; and Proverbs 25:13a: “Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer.”
So a challenge for me and maybe for you is to be ready for the call, or maybe put a different way; don’t wait for the opportunity, make the opportunity. Go encourage someone today, this week. You will be refreshed!
~Steve Herman, Owner, Trutina Financial
Ephesians 5:21
- Genesis 2:24-25
- Proverbs 5:18-19
- Malachi 2:15
- Mark 12: 29-30
- Ephesians 5:25-28
- Hebrews 13:4
- 1 Peter 3:1-7
- 1 John 4: 7-8
Application:
- Read the above verses with your spouse.
- Separately, write down what makes you each feel loved, honored and cherished.
- Compare your notes and discuss the items on each list.