What Am I Putting In?

I was reading about St Paul and his friend Barnabas visiting the city of Lystra – in what today is Turkey.

Paul makes a lame man walk… a crowd gathers and worship him, thinking he is the Greek god Hermes… he preaches to them… some Jews stir up the crowd and stone him… he’s dragged outside the city and left for dead.

What does Paul do? He returns to Lystra ‘strengthening the disciples and encouraging them…’  Encouraging literally means ‘putting courage in’.

Musing… what am I putting in to those around me?

At The Seagull Theatre yesterday there was a wonderful display of art work. I chatted to the lovely Foteini who set it up.

Foteini does art with folk at our ‘Dementia Café’, and in care homes across the county. Her publicity material states ‘…everyone, including individuals with severe learning disabilities, can enjoy being creative… helping people with dementia regain their confidence… individuals who may have lost their previous confidence in being creative can join in, regain this confidence, and feel able to express themselves once again.’

In ‘The Water Babies’ the mischievous orphan Tom encounters Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby for the first time:

‘…she took Tom in her arms, and laid him in the softest place of all, and kissed him, and patted him, and talked to him tenderly and low, such things as he had never heard before in his life; and Tom looked up into her eyes, and loved her, and loved, till he fell fast asleep from pure love.’

I’ve heard many versions of ‘You raise me up’. Yesterday I discovered this wonderful performance from Martin Hurkens in the city of Maastricht:

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be

What do I seek to put into those around me? Paul’s courage, Foteini’s confidence, Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby’s love, Martin’s strength.