I've had the privilege of using my talents to deliver sermons over the years. Recently, I have discovered that I enjoy these opportunities. I enjoy them so much, because they allow me to reach out to people in an effort to encourage. In this post I want to share with you a story about reaching out and encouraging others- a story that is rather different and quite inspiring. Here it is:
~"Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room-mate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Then unexpectedly, a sinister thought entered his mind. Why should the other man alone experience all the pleasures of seeing everything while he himself never got to see anything? It didn't seem fair. At first thought the man felt ashamed. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - that thought, and only that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running in. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along with that the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence-deathly silence.
The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would
have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."~
You see, sometimes encouragement comes from unlikely sources. Other times, encouragement comes when you least expect it. Still yet, encouragement may come from someone you don't expect it to come from and when you least expect it-much like the story. The blind man had every reason not to be an encourager. Perhaps, his situation was not much better than the other man's. However, the difference between the two was all in attitude. In order to encourage others, we must have the attitude of the blind man. We must have an attitude of gratitude. We must not let our situation prevent us from staying positive and being aware of the well being of others. Look back on your own life for a minute. I'm sure that you will find many times in which you were encouraged from someone you least expected. It happens! Why does it happen this way? Well, I certainly have my theory. I believe that encouragement often comes from unlikely sources because those sources are often people who have been in your shoes and understand your need for encouragement. Perhaps they received encouragement from an unlikely source and realized what a difference it made.
Now, as far as encouragement coming when you least expect it, my theory on that is simple. Encouragement doesn't always come on our terms or our timing. God knows exactly when we need it.
Finally, there's a world of "brick walls" out there that we can turn into "beautiful parks." All we have to do is make an effort. You know that I end every blog by adding one more thing I discover about the true measure of a man. Today, I have discovered that often times the true measure of a man comes from his ability to turn "brick walls" into "beautiful parks." That, my friends, is just a few thoughts from a small town southern man!
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