Encouragement

There once was an elderly lady in California who lived alone after her husband passed away. She couldn’t do much, but she really wanted to honor God with whatever abilities she had left. She prayed about it for a while.

Finally, she realized that she could cheer people up by playing the piano for them. She put a small advertisement in her local newspaper offering to play hymns over the phone for anyone who was sick and feeling down, and she would do this for free. She added her phone number at the bottom and waited to see what would happen.

Soon, people started to call her. She always asked them what hymn they would like to hear, and then she’d play the song for them. Some of them would also share their troubles with her, and she would try to help. In the months that followed, she encouraged hundreds of people.

This woman was living out Romans 14:19, which says: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (NIV) I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a couple of friends from church about how few people are willing to put aside their own perceived “rights” for the potential benefit of someone else. We guard our time, money, and energy, afraid that others will overdraw from those wells and leave us with nothing.

However, in God’s economy, I have found that it’s not until you are willing to give, even without the assurance of any personal reward or gratification, that you truly receive.

Books, articles, and products by Ann-Margret Hovsepian.

Ann-Margret Hovsepian has written professionally for over 25 years and has illustrated coloring books since 2015. She has written hundreds of articles and is a bestselling author, co-author, or illustrator of multiple books.

© 2025 XMegapolis. Used by permission.

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