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Verses
on Encouragement.
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FAITH
FOCUS: The
Barnabas Song
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I was having one of those
terrible-awful-no-good-very-rotten days. It didn't start out that way,
I woke up humming the Barney song, completely oblivious to any
impending disasters. I guzzled my breakfast shake of orange juice,
protein, and St. John's Wort, and headed in to my home office to get
to work.
It was when my hands touched the keyboard of my computer that I got my
first clue of impending calamity: The keyboard was wet. Now, I tell my
kids over and over "Do not eat or drink near the computer."
Which one of them did this? I then noticed the overturned coffee mug
with the "I LOVE MOM" logo -- the one no one drinks out of
but ME!!! Cringing, I realized just who the culprit was.
I sighed. No sense in trying this keyboard, as I knew from experience
that a wet keyboard will not work. I needed to undo that keyboard and
steal my son's keyboard and then we'd be fine. I trudged upstairs to
my son's room, and started to hyperventilate when I reached his desk.
The computer was there, but there was no keyboard! He had caught on to
me. The last three stolen keyboards had tipped him off. He was now
hiding his keyboards. How dare he. After all had I not given him
birth?
I began opening drawers and going through closets, but no keyboard was
to be found. My heart began to race. My mind was in a whirl. I needed
a keyboard, and I needed one now.
I entered my youngest son's bedroom. There sitting on his desk was our
ancient, very out-of-date computer. Attached to it was a circa 1985
keyboard. It makes an annoying clackety noise when you hit the keys.
But it was a keyboard, and I could not be fussy. I grabbed it and
headed back downstairs.
By now it was getting late, and the Barney song had regressed to a
minor key. I needed to attack the second phase of my mission, the
removal of the wet keyboard. The keyboard cord was connected to the
back of the computer tower. The tower was located in this very strange
cubby with a hole in the back of it. This desk was not designed by
someone who ever used a computer. The hole is not big enough to get a
fist through. I know all this because I was laying on my back under
the desk examining this hole. Barney's song was really getting
annoying.
I eased myself to the front and tried to pull the tower out, whereupon
all the cords came undone. Ready to replace the wet keyboard with the
aged one, I crawled under the desk, flipped over onto my back, stuck
the cord through the little hole, and eased myself back out. Now to
re-attach all the cords to their rightful place; I was lost. I could
not see the back. I could only feel the back. How ridiculous. I no
longer love Barney. It would be better just to move the whole
computer.
I won't go into all the details of moving that computer, and setting
it up on the card table in the basement, for I must get to the point
of this story -- and there is one, somewhere.
When I eventually signed on to my computer that day (sometime around
3pm), there was this wonderfully encouraging e-mail waiting for me
from a "Barnabas" friend. It contained a verse and a kind
word. It was all I needed to put everything back into perspective.
I write this to say thanks to all of you Barnabas-type people out
there. The ones who are constantly doing the acts of encouragement
that are so needed. Why do I call you Barnabas?
Barnabas was the man in the Bible who was known for his energizing
ways. In fact, he was such an encourager that people stopped calling
him by his given name of Joseph and began to call him
"Barnabas" or son of encouragement.
Throughout his life he did many uplifting things:
-He sold a field and gave all the money to the
apostles for use in ministry. (Acts 4:36)
-He helped deliver food to families struck by
famine. (Acts 11:30)
-He was willing to stick up for the underdog, even
at the risk of his own reputation. (Acts 9:26)
-He encouraged believers to remain true to their
faith. (Acts 14:22)
Barnabas was the SONshine in a lot of people's lives. Wherever he went
he left his rays of kindness and love. Thank you to all of you who are
that kind of person in someone else's life. You have no idea from what
pit you may be pulling them!
As I type this, I am down in the basement at the old card table. But I
am not in the pits. My computer tower is right by my feet, the sound
of the clacking keyboard is a rather nice backdrop against the song
I'm humming. Yes, its still the same tune, but with a slightly
different title. Rather than the Barney song, I have chosen to call it
the Barnabas Song -- a reminder of those who have encouraged me, and a
reminder to be an encourager in someone else's life today.
"Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to,
and what will give them a blessing" Ephesians 4:29, TLB.
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Barnabas Boards
If your church has a website, Web-based
Message Boards are a great way for you and your church to begin a
Barnabas ministry among the members. In many churches there are members
who are isolated at home for a variety of reasons. Young moms may
find they are isolated at home with a two year old, illness can cause a
member to be sidelined, and Seniors may find it hard to get out on
a regular basis. Having a Message Board Ministry can help
facilitate a spirit of unity and encouragement among the Believers as we
are exhorted to do in Colossians 2:2.
How to Start A
Message Board Ministry |