Good News - Oh I need some - How about you?

I have become aware of how much we need just a little good news sometimes. It doesn't take much - just a little - to make everything easier. Let me explain.

In the course of a week, let alone a lifetime, we all face the reports that are not so good. We have employees do things that are not so right. We have associates that mess things up. We have kids that disappoint us. Then add a broken down car or maybe the furnace goes - more bad news.

We have all been there.

I have noticed in my own life that at one of those low points, a simple email made such a difference. Some said thank you for something that had taken place between the two of us. At a different time some one sent a card to express their happiness for what had happened.

Some times just one word has made a difference. But when the message comes as paragraphs - WOW!

The Bible says...
Proverbs 25:25 "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."(KJV) or a more modern translation states it Proverbs 25:25 "Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty."(TLB)

A wee bit of news from some place far away... maybe far away from my immediate thoughts of doom and turmoil of all the bad news of that last 24 hours.... makes a difference.

Most of us cannot read another person's mind. Add to that - when someone doesn't feel good they usually don't call to say, "Hey, I just had a really bad 24 hours and I would like to tell everybody about it!"

But... if we let God tell us... make us more aware... help us to be there when most needed.... what might happen? We might start having a few more "God Moments".... and realize a brand new blessing pack that we are carrying with us all the time.

There are two ways this works. First - you are the receiver.... someone says something to you and you receive it. Second - you are the giver.... you say/give it to someone else and bless them.

Recently we were in a very busy restaurant. The customers were not all happy. Too many people and not enough staff at that moment. The waitress that we had was obviously stressed and was run off her feet. We had come in a little later that the rest of the crowd so we had to sit a little longer for the service we were going to get. After an hour had passed the bulk of the work had eased somewhat. I stopped the girl as she walked by our table and said, "I want you to know that you have done a great job. It was super busy here tonight and you are amazing how you handled all of this. Thank you. You did a great job."

The look on her face was amazing. The tightness that had developed over the hours of serving ornery people simply lifted like a mist.

I made a conscious effort to watch for people like this and say thank you.

It happened another time in a men's washroom, at a very larger function with many hundreds of people attending. The washroom was small and it was not pleasant. One lone teen was swabbing the deck below the urinals. His uniform was a dead give-a-way. He was staff and had drawn the short end of the shift. Before I left the room I said, "Hey, you are doing a great job. Thank you." His grunt of thanks was a sign that he appreciated even that statement.

We can make a difference this next week. I have a goal to offer good news to two people each day. I have to look for the opportunities and then act on them.

I have noticed something with this simple plan. My own problems seem easier to deal with. I still have them - but I am so much busier now looking for the "God Moments" - which are really my "Good Moments".