Brother Jimmy

Take a moment to think about someone who has encouraged you. Do you have that someone in mind? I know I do.

I would like to share a story with you about a person who has encouraged me. The person I’m thinking about is someone I’ve known for almost 30 years. I called him Brother Jimmy. Whenever my family visited my in-laws in Florida, I always looked forward to Sundays and Wednesdays because that’s when I got to visit with Brother Jimmy.

Brother Jimmy was a unique fellow. He challenged me to think differently. I really appreciated that about him. I’m reminded of the iron proverb.

Brother Jimmy is one of my iron men. As I think about him, I remember those times right before he would say something. Brother Jimmy would get a smile on his face. He would get tickled at himself and then I would get tickled.

Brother Jimmy’s health had been declining for quite some time. He had several health challenges, but that didn’t stop him from encouraging my wife and me. We received inspirational messages on a regular basis. And not only us. We were two of the many people he encouraged.

Several weeks ago, we stopped receiving those messages. That concerned us because we knew about his health issues. So we both reached out to him. I also reached out to another friend. Silence.

Yesterday, I saw a post that Brother Jimmy had passed away. It’s a sad day. My Florida visits will never be the same because he won’t be there.

When I remember all of the things he did to encourage me, it puts a smile on my face. Even though he’s gone, those things he did will continue to encourage me. Brother Jimmy will always be one of my iron men!

Daily Doable: Today, I have two for you. Here’s the first. Think about the people in your life who have sharpened and encouraged you. Tell them that they have been an encouragement to you. Trust me, their face will light up when they realize the impact that they have had on you.

Daily Doable 2: Look for ways that you can be an encourager. Look for ways that you can be a Brother Jimmy to someone else. Because those things that you do to encourage other people, regardless of how insignificant you might think they are, will outlive you. And they will continue to encourage that person for years to come.

I hope this story has been an encouragement to you. I’m sad today, but it’s a bittersweet sadness. I’m a better person for iron men like Brother Jimmy.
#DoWhatYouCanNow

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