By Matt Sapp
Have you ever noticed how the right people end up in the right place at the right time in your life? Every so often I stop to count my blessings, and one of God’s greatest blessings is each person God has put in my life.
According to the writer of Hebrews, we are surrounded by a heavenly cloud of witnesses who cheer us on in our race through life. I’m grateful to them and to God for their presence and influence in my life.
I’m grateful for the mentors among us. I attended Founder’s Day at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology last week. While I was there I spoke with professors, pastors, and former bosses. I talked to fellow church ministers, some who started their ministerial journeys with me and some who are further down the road.
All of them smiled, shook my hand, gave me a hug, and said something encouraging. These are people who in one way or another have invested themselves in me or are sharing in my experience. Connecting with them encourages me. Their kind words mean something to me. They fill me up, and I am grateful.
I’m grateful for the young people in our midst. I went to Six Flags with students from Heritage recently. Teenage enthusiasm is infectious. They are open and honest, and they haven’t quite learned to be cautious and closed off yet.
Young people trust the world and believe the best about people. They still know that things will work out okay in the end.
We sometimes laugh when children are afraid of Santa Claus or monsters under the bed. But adults build all kinds of imagined fears that box them in, too. Teenagers, on the other hand, live in that magical, mystical middle, unencumbered by fear.
It’s refreshing. You can learn a lot by hanging out with teenagers.
I’m grateful for family. That includes family I see in person or talk to on the phone or by text message.
My family includes close friends too. One friend sent me a funny email when I needed a laugh. Another sent a text message about a new rock band in Atlanta. Each touch reminds me that there are people out there willing to share their lives with me, that I am not alone.
Even when we don’t feel particularly lonely or isolated, friendship is encouraging. We are, all of us, gifts from God to one another.
I’m grateful to be among church family. One woman who’s been like a grandmother to me for 34 years came to church to see me last Sunday. She lives in Acworth and had to make arrangements to be away from her Sunday School class. Now in her 80s, she still teaches preschoolers every week.
I’ve known my current church family for less than a year now, but I know how lucky I am. They choose each day to reflect the love and graciousness of Christ in their encouragement and affirmation of me, so I work each day to live up to and into the shared vision that we’re building together.
The people in our lives make a difference. Ultimately, it’s our relationships with others that determine the quality of our lives.
I’m incredibly lucky to have relationships that bring health and balance to my life. I bet you have similar relationships in your life, too. Take some time to think about it.
I bet you’ll discover that you’ve got more people on your side than you ever imagined. That’s what I’ve discovered. Here’s my advice: Treasure those people. Be there to encourage and support them, too. And thank God every day for them.
Baptist Spirituality 