Life Bringer

One of my favorite authors, John Fischer, tells of a friend of his who works with homeless teenagers. He likes to experiment with new ways of beginning a conversation. It's hard to start a conversation with "How are you?" with the inner city kids with whom he works since the unpleasant answer kind of screams in your face without anything being said.

This guy often asks, "What has brought you life today?"

What made you sit up and take notice of the fact that you are actually alive? What made your heart beat faster? What got your attention? Something in the news? A God moment? A phone call from your friend? A brush with death? What made you know you were alive today?

It's a valid question that cuts through much of our mundane existence. If you can go through an entire day without coming up with anything that made you feel alive, it doesn't necessarily mean there wasn't anything; it just means you didn't notice it. That's why the question is a good one. It draws something of value out of us.

So think about it for a moment, "What brought you life today?"
Be grateful for the person/gift/experience.

And here's another one: "What did you do to bring life to someone else today?"

And one more thought: The day's not over yet! There's still time to make a positive difference is someone else's life.

Remember: "Encouragement is oxygen for the soul."