After a really HOT summer day, we put the boat out in the creek just before sunset. The cool evening breeze was a welcome relief as it danced through the trees and over our sun-kissed skin. The water was like glass and served as a mirror reflecting the world as our boat moved through the small branches of the creek.
Often in life, we try to escape the noise of the world and find some peace. Most of the time, that’s because the voices of others have served to discourage, frustrate, hurt, or just plain make us mad. So, we pull our hearts back, and we go in search of a quiet place.
I can remember a rather grumpy man scoffing at me when, early on as Lay Leader, I said we need to be cheerleaders and encouragers for the congregations. I stand by that assertion several years later. We STILL need to be cheerleaders and encouragers for people both inside and outside of our congregations MORE THAN EVER. People look to those in leadership for examples of a life with Christ. They also look to church leaders for guidance on new paths, ways to grow in their faith, ways to help, and ways to push themselves into places that might be uncomfortable or simply unfamiliar.
That night, when I could see the reflection of the beautiful nearly full moon on the surface of the creek, I wondered what I might be reflecting to the world and to the people I serve in various roles. Am I encouraging others to use their unique gifts and talents? Am I offering encouragement and support to meet their own goals for growth? Do I respond as a critic or an encourager? Does my response bring them closer to Christ or push them back a bit? Am I willing to support what seems like a crazy idea from someone who feels called to try something new, or will I discourage a path that I cannot personally envision?
It’s a wonderful exercise in growth and humility to really reflect on the ways that we lead. It always has been a good practice of leaders, but it is more important than ever right now. We are all a bit wounded, discouraged, and in need of meaningful reflection on so many levels. That old song says something like it starts with the “man (or woman) in the mirror,” and it really does. We need to reflect on what we are showing others…what we are sending out into the world. Then, we can begin to support, love, and guide others in all the many unique ways people need to be encouraged. We don’t need pom-poms to be cheerleaders. We do need faith in a loving God and hope for the work that He is still doing among us. I see His reflection in so many people working in a million different ways… can you?
“As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.” Proverbs 27:19
Kim R. Smith
Sound District Lay Leader
photo by Kim R. Smith