A Little Hope in My Pocket

Today I officiated the funeral for Tammie’s Uncle.  As you can imagine, I used scriptures which encourage those who find themselves in a season of loss.  If you have been to a funeral, you have probably heard the very same ones.  As I was committing his body to the earth, reading the last passage I would share for the day, I was struck by the last line.

 

On a side note, a little known secret among pastors is, as we are teaching or reading scriptures to a group, the passage often strikes us in ways we had not planned on sharing.  Sometimes, I want to stop in the middle and say something like, “I was not planning on talking about this, but a thought has just struck me.”  Usually, I just keep it to myself, continue to share what I had planned, and think about it later.

Now, as I was finishing up this passage, getting ready to say the final prayer, I found myself wanting to pause and think about the last line.  It was simply this, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”  The passage was written to those who were grieving the loss of those who had died, and giving them hope regarding the fate of their loved ones in the life to come.  It was imploring us, especially in times of grief, to encourage each other with this truth.   

This was exactly my intent in reading the passage in the first place, but as I stood there getting ready to pray, I started thinking about what it would be like if we simply went around encouraging each other with words of hope.  What if it was not something we reserved for readings at funerals?  What if we went around, every day, encouraging people with hope?

I had a prayer to get to.  There were lots of people standing in the hot sun and I knew this was not the time to ponder this thought, but it was worth pondering.

Later, I was walking through the park, thinking back on the events of the day, and in the distance I saw a homeless woman pushing a grocery cart.  She was wearing a beanie cap and jacket on a very warm day.  Despite the heat, she was fully covered up, almost as if she was trying to hide.  My mind went back to that passage of scripture and I wondered when was the last time she had anyone encourage her with words of hope.  I was not quite sure what to say, but I knew I wanted to say something.  In the end, I decided to simply say hello, but not the “I am preoccupied and just being courteous hello” but the “I want you to know I see you, care for you and want you to know my hello is a sign I value you" kind of hello.

Just as I got close enough to look in her eyes, I said in the warmest way I knew how, Good Afternoon.  I then smiled the kindest smile I could.  I wanted her to feel as if she had been seen and loved as she passed me.

She looked a little surprised, and then smiled back. She said with kindness, “God bless you, take care of yourself.”  My heart warmed.  This homeless woman, who probably has spent the last umpteen nights on the streets, was encouraging me to take care of myself.  This made me smile with joy.  I knew she had felt seen and valued.  I knew she was returning the favor.  I knew we had exchanged encouraging words of hope.  
  
What surprised me the most about this interaction was how hopeful her words left me feeling. Apparently, when we take the opportunity to speak encouraging words to another, no matter how small they are, we may also find ourselves being encouraged. It seems words of hope are dangerous that way.  When they are spoken they start having an effect on everyone involved in the conversation.  I guess that is why the passage does not say, "Encourage others", but rather "Encourage one another with these words."  My little interaction with this woman allowed me to see just how powerful obeying this command can be. 

Now, I am hoping I will bump into this lady the next time I am walking.  I want to speak to her again.  Who knows, maybe we will move beyond the exchanging of a simple greeting to an actual conversation.  What hope might we be able to share then?  I am looking forward to finding out.