Jim Martin's Encouragement Note #108
When your presence makes a difference . . . You are not alone . . . The red-headed Vietnam vet . . . A prayer of deliverance (especially for ministers & other church leaders) . . . Etcetera
The List of Five
(The above picture - Charlotte, myself, and the four grandchildren.)
When Your Presence Makes a Difference
My birthday is this month - the 20th of July. Rarely do I think very much about my age - except during the month of my birthday.
Recently, I read the following words from Richard Blackaby who posted the following on his birthday:
Today is my birthday! I pray that this year I will increase the level of joy in whatever room I enter, increase people's faith whenever I speak with them, decrease people's fears and doubts when I interact with them, and I will make people sorry to see me go, whenever I leave.
I also desire the following:
I want to increase the level of joy in whatever room I enter. I don’t want my presence to suck the life and energy out of the room.
I want to increase other people’s faith whenever I speak with them. I want this to be particularly true for my children, grandchildren, and friends.
I want to decrease other people’s fears and doubts when I interact with them. I don’t want to be an anxious presence that escalates whatever anxiety and fear might already be in the room.
So what value do I add to others? How does God use me to bless others when I am present? In what ways are others encouraged, strengthened, and invigorated by my presence and my speech?
You Are Not Alone
I love these words from the opening verses of Psalm 46:
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Are you in trouble? Are you facing very difficult challenges?
You are not alone.
God is your refuge. He desires to be your shelter when you feel like your problems are just too much.
God is your strength. He desires to be your strength when you feel overwhelmed by the pressure, the stress, and the heartaches of this life.
God is your ever-present help when you are in trouble and can’t see a way out.
Therefore - you and I do not have to live in a state of constant fear, anxiety and worry.
Someone might say at this point, “Well that’s easier said than done.” Of course it is. At the same time, this precious promise from God is absolutely true! This is an invitation from God to rest in him.
The Redheaded Vietnam Vet
The year was 1971, my first year at Eastfield Community College (Dallas). This was a new community college which had opened the previous year. On campus were a number of Vietnam veterans, some of whom had just returned from war.
One particular veteran happened to be in several of my classes. He was redheaded, wore a brown leather jacket, and dressed well. He drove a very nice Chevrolet Corvette.
For some reason, I decided I didn’t like him. At the same time, I made no effort to get to know him. I don’t know that I even said “hello” to him.
At the beginning of my second year, on the first day of class, he came into the room and sat in the row beside me. He asked me about the other classes I was taking that semester. I mentioned one particular class and he said he had already taken the class.
He then said, “If you haven’t bought the textbook, you are welcome to have mine. Why don’t we drive over to my apartment and get it after class.”
An hour later, I was sitting in his Corvette as we drove to his North Dallas apartment. He gave me his book.
Wow. I had really misjudged him. Giving me this textbook was such a kind gesture. I had been way too quick to critique and judge.
I love this quote by therapist Kathleen Smith:
A focus on others needing to function better is deeply steadying. And it feels right, because others will give us plenty of examples of their own immaturity. But what feels right is not necessarily what is effective. (The Anxious Overachiever, June 25, 2024)
Sometimes we focus on others and quickly see something we don’t like. Yet, maybe in our haste to critique and judge, we can miss an opportunity for relationship. Yet, the truth is that we are often a lot like others, whether old or young.
Neil Young recorded “Old Man” in 1971. He was 24 years old when the song was recorded in Nashville. The lyrics include the following:
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
Twenty-four and there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two
Love lost, such a cost
Give me things that don't get lost
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you
Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true
Have you ever been far too quick to size up a person and later you realize you were totally wrong?
Could it be that I have something in common with a person whom I perceive to be different? Maybe that person is an “old man” as Neil Young suggests (or young or black or white, etc.) Actually, I may have something in common with someone who may seem different from me.
As my friend, Dr. Bill Petty, told me recently: “A problem can actually be an opportunity to make a friend or deepen a relationship.” Today, I want to look for the opportunity to make a friend instead of focusing on that person as a problem.
A Prayer of Deliverance (Especially for Ministers and Other Church Leaders)
I love this prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (p. 76)
O Almighty God, you pour out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This is a prayer of deliverance from “coldness of heart” and “wanderings of mind.”Instead, the prayer is that our thinking and our affections might be focused on God.
These thoughts are very helpful as I prepare to leave Harding School of Theology on August 30. The Memphis campus will close. The seminary will move to Arkansas.
We plan to remain in Memphis for the foreseeable future. I am entering a new phase of life. I’m not quite sure what to call this phase. Perhaps, “Semi-retirement,” or, I might borrow David Brooks’ term and refer to this phase as “encore.” The “encore” phase is the chapter of life where you focus on doing what brings you joy and purpose.
At the same time, I pray that my affections and thoughts might be focused on God.
Etcetera (Resources for Reading/Listening/Viewing)
I love the following series on “friendship” that appeared in the New York Times. This was a five day “friendship challenge” written by Catherine Pearson:
I just finished Tom Brokaw’s book, Boom! Voices of the Sixties. Having lived through this decade, this was of particular interest to me.
A sobering conversation about the era in which he played. Reggie Jackson on Willie Mays' legacy & emotions of visiting Rickwood Field.
This week I completed Uli Chi’s, The Wise Leader. This is an excellent book! I loved the entire discussion in this book about a leader’s wisdom.
I serve as Vice President of Harding School of Theology, Memphis, Tennessee.
Every other Monday morning, I publish this “Encouragement Note.” You can subscribe at jimmartin.substack.com. You can also find me on Facebook - @jim.martin or Instagram - @jimmartin.jm. My e-mail address is: jmartin9669@gmail.com. Feel free to write. I would love to hear what is encouraging — Jim Martin
Thank you, Jim. Another encouraging note...especially You Are Not Alone.
Blessings, Bill