“Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.” Philemon 1:7

It’s usually a younger guy or gal, and you never know their names…but you see them at every game. When you are watching a football game on tv, and there’s a time out…you see them run out on to the field to bring those tall, thin Gatorade bottles to the QB and the stars. The Play-by-Play announcer tells you what the Team just did…and the Great Tony Romo goes on to tell you what they are GOING to do! But you see these people running around squirting Gatorade into the mouths of the pro players to restore their electrolytes and keep them hydrated. They are REFRESHING those players.

I thought about that a lot this last weekend as I hung out with our teens and ate myself into a stomachache…those guys are ESSENTIAL to that game! The players NEED them…because they need to be refreshed. The coaches need these guys, because they need those players fully functional. They don’t get their name in lights, don’t wear the shiny Super Bowl ring. They probably feel overlooked sometimes. But they bring refreshing to those people.

Do you do that? Do you bring REFRESHING to the Body of Christ? Maybe you do a lot behind the scenes, no one notices…but you ARE breathing life into people. When you write cards that encourage, when you take time to say hi to new people at our Assembly times, when you come early to work in the sound booth or the nursery, or you stay late to pick up, spray down and make things ready for the next event…you are REFRESHING the Body that meets here at Central!

You may feel that no one notices…but I promise you, that QB notices that bottle of Gatorade. And we APPRECIATE your efforts!

Let’s take time in 2021 to REFRESH people. We’ve been beaten down by a lot lately…MAY WE bring refreshment to our community! May we ENCOURAGE and strengthen, rather than whine and complain. May we help lift people up, when life has beaten them down. And may Portales speak of us, the way Paul spoke of Philemon-“Your kindness has REFRESHED the hearts of God’ people.”

Shalom’ and Noelle – PEACE and JOY to you all!
Don