Sometimes we don’t think we are making a difference. Sometimes we wonder if it’s worth the effort. Sometimes we forget the value of being present. Often we will never know the difference we have made in someones life.

I was making my usual rounds through Facebook when a post by a long time friend caught my eye. He was going to be selling at a local farmers market. He was essentially in my backyard. We hadn’t seen each other in at least twenty years. We had grown up together. Our families went to the same church. We were in youth group together and went to the same high school.

It was great to catch up. It felt like it had only month not years since we had seen each other. This was all wonderful, but that is not what struck me as I drove home with some yummy all beef hotdogs. I started thinking about his parents. I adore his parents. His parents were one set of a few sets of parents that were regular fixtures in my life through church and youth group. I always knew they were a safe place to land if needed. It wasn’t any one thing they said or did. They were simply present. In fact, I know that if I needed their help today they would still be there for me.

There was something very comforting as a teen and still today in knowing that families at church are a part of my extended family.

This scripture reminds me of why we are to be present in each other’s lives.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT).

There is a call on each of us to be present in the lives of others. We put flesh on God’s grace and mercy. Teens, especially, need to know there are safe places to land in addition to their parents. I could even tout research that supports that, but I won’t bore you with that. These families were a gift to me. A gift I didn’t recognize until a few days ago. I want to be that kind of gift to others even if they don’t recognize it. I want to be present in others lives in a way that they sense and experience grace and mercy. I want my son’s friends to know that this house is a safe place to land. I have work to do.

How about you? Do you need to work on being present in the lives of others? How can you pour into someones life?

Who has poured into your life? Share here and we can motivate each other in acts of love.