Am I Refreshing?

Late yesterday evening I went for a walk along a sultry bayou near Hot Springs, Arkansas. An evening walk is nothing unusual for my wife and I, but this time I was walking with a colleague at the close of a staff retreat. We walked for exercise and relaxation, but the humidity and heat made it anything but refreshing. That is, until we approached a secluded dock near the boat launch. Quite unexpectedly, it was like walking through a curtain of cool, a tangible wall of refreshment. Humidity and heat evaporated in an instant and we were transported to a cool oasis, an island of chill surrounded by a desert of mugginess. We tarried and enjoyed the spot as long as we dared and sighed remorsefully as we walked back through the curtain into sweat.

As I reflect on the experience, I cannot help but wonder about the effect I have on people with whom I come in contact. Do people walk away from our encounters with a sense of being refreshed? Do I encourage or drain? Am I a rejuvenating factor or a stress-producing strain?

Father, remake me into a blessing just waiting to happen. Create in me a clean heart and allow the contentment I find in you to be contagious. Transform me into a curtain of refreshing. 

(Dane Fowlkes, Pastor)