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Imagine that at 12:01 AM on New Year’s Eve, God gives each of us a brand new notebook. This notebook has 364 pages, and all the pages are blank. On the cover of the book is the title, “Your New Year’s Opportunity.”
What would happen, if every day, we turned to a fresh page and wrote the name of a person who received our love and care that day? What an opportunity to make a difference!
If you and I brightened at least one life each day of the year, we would make a magnificent difference in our families, neighbors, workplace, community and country. If you and I would actually strive to do this we would make God’s world a healthier and happier place, and we would know more joy and satisfaction than we can imagine right now. We just might hear God whisper at the end of each day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
My little notebook of caring deeds is ready. In it, I will strive to write each day a person’s name who received my care. I hope you will join me in making a difference this year.
This prayer helps strengthen my resolve:
Dear Lord,
Will you teach us/ remind us, to put people first? Sensitize our spirits to listen to you and make room in our daily schedule for people, especially people who are suffering. Help us to choose to make a difference in your world.
Amen.
For hundreds of ideas on how to care for someone who is hurting, download our free e-book 122+ Ways to Care Well.
I have a personal ministry that I started about 15 years ago called “Everyday Encouragement.” My mission in this ministry is to encourage someone ~ every day ~ who God places in my path. This post has inspired me to be even more intentional with this ministry and journal my deeds of encouragement over the next year. There are some days where I don’t get out in the community, especially since I work from home more now, so I’m not interacting with others outside my home every day. It has been easy to let days – and weeks – slip past where I did not truly adhere to my mission of encouraging someone else every day. But as I read your post, I was reminded that I can write a simple note and mail a card to someone every day to lift their spirits and let them know I’m thinking of them. Thanks for this great idea of “logging” our caring deeds to keep us accountable for doing good and loving our neighbors like God instructs us to do. I’m looking forward to turning the page on to the New Year and starting this care journal. And the end of next year, I hope to look back at all the names I have recorded and know that I have made a positive difference in their lives. In blessing them, I know I will be blessed too! Thanks for the inspiration!