Hope & Investment (Part II)

It's about time, not about you.

Hope Matters

Last week, I wrote about investing in ourselves and the return we get on that. Now, Hope Buddies, I know some of y’all were wondering, “Well, what about everybody else in my life?” So, let me speak to that as well. But before I begin here’s a quote I heard this week that might help you understand why I began with you.

I’m not gonna serve from my cup…I’m gonna pour my cup ‘til it’s in overflow, and I’m gonna serve you from my saucer.

-Lisa Nichols

This next thing is all I’m going to say about this before moving on to why I showed up with another hopeletter for you today. If you’re constantly giving from your cup, eventually you’re going to run out, and there’ll be nothing left for anyone, not even yourself. Everything I wrote last week was necessary for us to get here. Take care of you, so you’ll have enough left to give without jeopardizing your mental or physical health. (I’m telling you what I know, not what I heard. 🙂)

Now, on to the matter at hand. Let’s imagine that your cup is filled to overflowing. Take a few seconds to think about these questions. What are you doing in service to others? How are you investing in them? Because that’s why we’re on this earth, right? If we are truly following Jesus’s example, that most certainly is why we’re here.

Okay so, I don’t want you to overthink this. Investing in people doesn’t have to be grand gestures (although those are wonderful). Most often, we touch people with the little things we do. Think about what makes you feel heard, seen, and loved. I bet it’s not those grand gestures people like to place emphasis on and show off on socials. For me, it’s in the encouraging texts I receive, the smiles I get on the street, the pause I take when someone checks to see how I am even as I’m daily checking on others.

These are the moments I remember. These are the things that fill my cup to overflowing when my saucer is getting empty. These are also the moments I try my best to give others. When I was a girl, I remember my mom saying to us, “Everyone deserves the time of day.” It’s a statement I’ve held onto such that I’m motivated at the very least to speak and give a smile to people who cross my path, no matter who they are. Sometimes, even that can make a total stranger’s day, especially if they’re consistently looked down upon.

But also, consider this. How can you be aware enough to recognize when people need your vulnerability? The lives we’ve lived, the things we’ve endured are not for us. How open are you to sharing your story in the moments that others need encouraging? How open are you to praying with someone who needs nothing else from you but that? These are the investments I’m emphasizing here. The things that take time, which is an invaluable resource. I can give someone money, but the time investment I’ve given is what I receive the greatest return on, when people circle back and tell me how they’re doing or how what I said encouraged or helped them. And that return on what might have been a small investment for me makes my heart smile in a way that nothing else can.

What seems to be small to us can indeed shift someone’s entire life. Hope Buddies, fill your cups to overflowing, remain open, give someone new “the time of day.” It can change their lives as well as yours. As I told you last week, God’s ROI (return on investment) is exponential.

Hope in vulnerability and invest in people. ☕️

Coffee Matters

Alright Coffee Buddies, I’m still rocking with this pour over method, and I think I’m making progress. What I’m learning is the process varies from person to person. This is indeed an interesting journey. Once I get my camera situation settled, I’ll do more visual sharing of this journey.

Now, on to coffee beverage matters. This week I’ve been enjoying a roast called Tanzania Igale. The bag says it has notes of dark chocolate, caramelized, buttery. Parthenia says the dark chocolate is most prominent.

I bought it on a whim, and I’m not disappointed, especially since I’m sipping the pour over and not the drip.

So…

What are you hoping and sipping this week?

I appreciate you taking the time to read this hopeletter about my life and coffee. Please share with a friend who could use a little hope or coffee recommendation.