The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
Matthew 6:22
One of the pupils in my exercise class gave me a birthday card with a picture of a little girl with outstretched arms on the front. The sentiment inside says, “TA-DAA! That’s what God said the day you were born.” That was five years ago and it still hangs in my kitchen today.
That’s because it makes me feel wonderful whenever I see it. It reminds be that someone is counting on me to bring them light. Like the opening scripture says, it fills my whole body with light. Knowing that another person feels that way about me makes me want to live in a way that continues to evoke the same positive response. I want them to continue to be inspired by me.
Isn’t that the way we all feel when we know someone is expecting excellence from us? We certainly don’t want to let them down. Their belief in us motivates us to do the best job we can. Who knows! Maybe they’ve discovered some genius we didn’t even know we have. We go out of our way to ensure we’re living in a way that reflects their good impression of us!
Who inspires you to give it your best? Perhaps it’s a family member, a friend or even an employer. My dad called me to tell me how wonderful my last blog was. Dad doesn’t give unwarranted compliments, but he DID give me a TA-DAA moment. It makes me more resolved to continue to write blogs that can touch others’ hearts because I was able to touch Dad’s.
Ideally, this good experience inspires us to provide others with their own TA-DAA moments. We want others to feel as positive as we do. Right? OK. Maybe we’re a little selfish and this was not the first thought that entered our mind. Look at it this way though. If we can make someone feel like they are making a difference in others’ lives, they will be more apt to live up to the impression we have of them. Isn’t that what we call being an encourager?
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34
Yes, God asks us to encourage one another. That’s one of the ways we can spread His love to others. Encouragement gives us the determination to keep moving forward when we otherwise would have thrown in the towel. It allows us to know that we ARE making a difference.
We can even encourage and celebrate our own accomplishments…our TA-DAA moments. I celebrate the creation of my fitness business and the smiles I get to see every day on the ladies & men in my classes. I am privileged to provide a service that helps them realize physical abilities they didn’t know they have.
The desire God put in my heart to serve seniors came from another moment of victory I had almost 30 years ago. When I completed my first New York City Marathon, I too realized physical abilities I didn’t know I had.
Even more importantly, I’ve had the satisfaction of giving life to the amazing young man my son Andrew is becoming. He does things his own way. We question his reasoning sometimes, but ultimately end up saying, “TA-DAA!” Don’t your children make you feel the same way?
What are the TA-DAA moments in your life? We do well to remember our victories when things go awry and life happens. Remembering our prized moments and what we are passionate about can keep us going forward when life is not turning out as we expected.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do
Ephesians 2:10
We are all made in the image of God Almighty. He’s expecting good works from us because that’s how He created us. We are His own reflection. So the birthday card I received is true.
God does say TA-DAA! whenever we behave in ways to help others and our world. As His children, He’s expecting nothing less. He wants us to remember these precious moments in our lives and use their sense of accomplishment as an anchor to propel us to even grander things to bring meaning/purpose to our lives and the lives of others.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for bringing us TA –DAA moments. Show us how and when to lift someone else with encouraging words.
You’ve made us in Your image. You also created us to love and encourage each other. Please help us to act in ways that lets others know that we belong to You.
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