1 Thessalonians 5:11
One of the traditions engendered by the military culture is the art of the "Going-away Luncheon". This ritual centers around the fact that military members usually get re-assigned to a different duty station every 3-5 years. Over the last 20+ years of my military career I have attended quite a few and even been the recipient of a handful myself. It is at these events that a number of friends and co-workers congregate at the venue of the honoree's choosing, most usually the favorite dining place, to send them off to their next duty assignment and wish them well on their future endeavors. Family members are almost always invited to show how important the family unit is to the servicemember's sacrifice and how much their sacrifice is also appreciated.
The event begins with the masses descending on the eatery of choice, hopefully after making arrangements with the management to bring in that many at one time. Invites have typically gone out to the week or two prior to the event and, depending on the size of the operation, there are often 20-50 people in attendance. In my time, I have seen an entire restaurant taken over for the sole purpose of one of these events.
As folks arrive, they will make their way over to the honoree to shake hands and provide well wishes. They move on to find their seats and put in their orders for food. Even if they are not fans of the eating venue, they will still attend and find at least something on the menu to partake in just to attend the event. And, although people usually sit amongst the small groups they feel most comfortable, all those different groups have been touched in one way or another by the honoree.
At the events winding down, either the person's office supervisor or commander will stand up to start part of the event to honor the person departing. They will typically say some words about how much that person has meant to them and the group they are speaking for. And, as others get up to do the same, they will typically proffer a gift or memento of some sort to remind them of their time served.
One thing I noticed through all the events I have attended is that for the honoree it was almost always the first time they had heard these accolades being said about them. Much like at somebody's funeral, people who are familiar with this person relay stories, friendly jabs, quirks, accolades, send offs & appreciated qualities.
While it is great to reflect on these things at the end of a person's tenure or at the end of their life, should we not be filling their ears and their hearts with these things while they can gain the benefit of those spoken words? Too many times we wait until someone has left, or is leaving, to share with them how appreciated they or their efforts are to us.
We should take little bits of time out of our day to appreciate those around us. It does not have to be a constant state of praise. But, just little bits of "thank you" and "I am grateful for you because..." will help to build up those we come into contact with every day. This encouragement will reflect the love of God in their lives and reinforce what they do that makes them special to the world around them.
So, please take some time in your day-to-day life to recognize what is special about the people around you, particularly the people closest to you like your spouse and/or your children. Do not wait until you are at the end of your time with that person. It will surprise you what a difference it will make in your life and the lives of others. Who knows you may be able to bring the only ray of sunshine to a dark corner of the world and be the only light of God that a person sees!
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Jude 1:20-21 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
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