Tag Archives: Encouragement

Message In A Minute: Lift Others Up

I discovered a phenomenon the other day.

It started with a picture a friend shared online, then I followed it up with some research.

It seems at rock concerts, people confined to wheelchairs are candidates for an amazing experience. And it appears that the more wild and crazy the music, the more often this type of event takes place. I would love to see it in person.

During the concert somebody gets the idea that a person in a wheelchair should be able to see the stage as well as everyone else. I don’t know if it’s the person in the wheelchair, a friend. or a stranger with the idea. But, the wheelchair is lifted up, and the device with its occupant are suddenly riding on top of a sea of helpful hands.

Some are simply hoisted up to see better, others travel over the crowd, and some make it all the way to the stage. And each picture I’ve seen reveals a huge smile or look of contentment on every face. The videos I’ve watched are inspiring.

It can’t be easy to get this kind of thing started, and the people holding the others up are working hard. But with so many helping, it looks effortless to lift others up.

We may not appreciate the music at many of these concerts, but we can learn from the compassion and teamwork displayed by these joy filled participants. These people who are doing the lifting may never attend a church, but somehow they are tapping in to what ministry is all about. They are demonstrating that humanity can be a beautiful, organic, healing, effective, and inspiring creation when self-centeredness is cast aside.

Who can you lift up?

Who can you encourage?

Who can you provide with a better perspective?

You have unique abilities to lift others up in ways that last longer than a few songs at a rock concert.

You can make contact with a lonely person.
You can sincerely compliment another.
You can provide encouragement.
You can give money or resources.
You can volunteer your time.
You can pray for those in need.

We have the ability to do emotionally and spiritually what I’ve been explaining happens physically at these concerts.

We can lift others up, if we are willing to get out of our comfort zone, and get into our concert zone.

-Tom Wise

Message In a Minute: To the Beat of Your Own Drum

On a recent trip to Washington, D.C. my family and I stayed at a hotel on the Gallaudet University campus.

Gallaudet University is a school for the deaf and hearing impaired.

Many of the deaf students work at the hotel, it helps them hone their life skills in a work environment. Every employee of the hotel used sign language to communicate. Even our shuttle driver, who was not hearing impaired, used a mix of verbal and sight based communication. It was an educational experience.

After sightseeing, while coming back to the campus for the evening, we encountered something confusing.

We could see the university’s football team practicing, and there was a man on the field with a huge drum. A drum so big you could crawl inside it. For a few moments, we were perplexed, then it “hit” me, I knew what was going on.

While the team was stretching, a coach would hit the drum, the players would feel the vibration and change their positions. After doing some research days later, I found out the team uses the drum to communicate during games as well. Since the players can’t respond to a voice command to start the play, a coach on the sideline hits the drum to initiate the snap of the ball.

The Gallaudet Bisons are the only hearing impaired college team in the country.

Similar to the sound waves felt in the chest of each football player, our actions influence the hearts of those around us. Like a stone tossed into a lake, what we do ripples beyond where we assume it will reach. What we do in life reverberates through the lives around us.

Many of us are in influential positions due to our careers or titles. But everyone has influence. And for all of us, how we live communicates more clearly than we realize.

In the normal life of just under 80 years, an average person will meet around 75,000 people in some capacity. I realize that sounds like a lot of people, but the research confirms these numbers. From family, close friends, acquaintances, doctors, mechanics, servers at restaurants, all the way down to the strangers you greet in a store or on the streets every day.

What that means is this, you could fill a football stadium with the people you will have at least some contact with in your life. Even if it’s just a kind word instead of ignoring them. Imagine standing in the middle of that stadium with a microphone and the capacity crowd goes silent, waiting for what you would say to them.

The reality is this, each of us has that opportunity over our lifetime.

So, encourage, uplift, inspire, educate, coach, lead, listen, speak, sing, write, paint, rescue, heal, counsel, and reach like you’re making an impact.

Because you are.

When you live by the beat of your own drum, the world can feel it.

-Tom Wise

*Photo credit, Yahoo Sports 2013

Message in A Minute: See The Best

In 7th grade, at random times during the school day, I would hear a certain teacher down the hall yelling at students.

He was known for taking disruptive students out in the hallway and the whole school would echo with the his stern voice. Mr Pacifico didn’t mess around, and we all knew it. Most every student had a healthy respect for him, even if they didn’t have his class.

I feared that one day I would be in that class.

The next year, I was in his class and I was terrified. 

At that time in my life I was battling depression and panic attacks. I couldn’t concentrate on school work, I couldn’t focus on the lectures, I couldn’t read the required chapters. It was an extremely difficult time.

I did well on every test but I got behind on my daily class work. One day, Mr. “P” as he was known, called my name out and told me to meet him in the hallway. I knew I wasn’t in trouble for any behavioral issues but my fear took over. I walked through the door and braced myself for the verbal assault I was sure to receive.

What happened next changed the way I viewed Mr. P. It changed the way I viewed myself, and it still encourages me today.

Mr. Pacifico calmly and sincerely asked me what was going on in my life. As if he could sense the source of my struggle, he helped me talk through what was troubling me. We talked for a long time.

He expressed concern that I was wasting my potential. While I don’t remember exactly what he said, I remember he used the word “gifted” to describe me, and he filled me with hope and courage.

I continued to struggle for years after, but from that day on, I had Mr. Pacifico’s words to give me a better perspective.

For me, this mirrored my relationship with God. 

At 18 years old, I approached God with fear and regret, but I was met with acceptance and encouragement. He gave me a new perspective and a new direction. Obviously my relationship with God holds dynamics that go beyond this comparison. But it does make me wonder a few things.

Do I see the best in people, even if they can’t see it yet?
Am I bold enough to speak words that people need to hear?
Can I demonstrate sincere concern for others in a way that will help them reach their God given potential?

What about you?

Maybe you and I still need to be taken out in the hall every now and then to get some perspective.

-Tom Wise