Good To See You!

S

everal years ago I was walking down Main Street in my hometown, looking in the windows at what the various downtown shops had on display. Some of the shops were selling their wares at discount prices and others were displaying new merchandise that had just been added to their stock.  The street was unusually crowded and everywhere people were coming in and out of stores or craning their necks to see the window displays.

I moseyed down the street, continuing my window shopping when I heard someone call my name.  The voice was unmistakable.  I had heard this voice since I was a little boy and it had always proved a source of encouragement, security, and joy.  Now, it wasn’t this particular voice that made me stop and turn around; rather, it was the voice’s owner that stopped me in my tracks.

The voice belonged to Mrs. Ozelia Gingles, a lady who kept house for my grandfather and who took care of me when I was just a little tike.  Ozelia would come to our house in the morning and she stayed with me while my parents were at work.  She cooked great meals and she spent quality time with me, telling me stories and rocking me to sleep for my afternoon nap.  Whenever I needed her, Ozelia was always there and she always wore a smile.  But Ozelia’s smile was more than skin-deep, it was heart-deep.  She loved me and I loved her and we had a wonderful relationship.

So, on this particular afternoon when she called my name, I stopped everything and ran to see her.  Ozelia always greeted everyone the same way.  She would always say, “Good to see you!”  Unlike most of us who say such things in passing, Ozelia meant exactly what she said.  She was glad to see you and her smile and great hugs proved it.  Her voice always made me happy and it served as a great source of encouragement and strength.

In 2 Corinthians 7:6, Paul writes about the comfort provided by one of his fellow workers, Titus. “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus…” What a wonderful testimony this is about the life of this man named Titus.  His very presence served as a great source of encouragement and comfort for the Apostle Paul.  This passage, though short, tells us something wonderful about Titus.  His was a ministry of comfort.  The Apostle Paul had many times of distress and difficulty in his life.  He was imprisoned, beaten, rejected, and deserted by friends all because of his faithfulness in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

No doubt there were times when he was lonely, dejected, and he needed encouragement and comfort.  Paul knew that God provided comfort in life’s most difficult moments and he learned that sometimes God’s comfort comes in the form of friends and fellow laborers along the Christian pathway.  That is how he describes Titus.  God comforted Paul by sending Titus to him in times of great difficulty and challenge.  Titus, like Ozelia, could have easily greeted Paul with the words, “Good to see you!”  Such a greeting spoken in love and genuine concern can profoundly touch another person.  Paul experienced this from Titus and was forever grateful.

Do you have an Ozelia Gingles in your life who serves as a source of comfort and encouragement to you?  Is there someone whose mere voice can change your outlook and perspective on your situation?  If so, thank God for them.  However, we can carry the question one step further and ask ourselves if we are serving as a source of comfort for someone else.  Are we being Ozelia Gingles to those around us?  Are we bringing comfort to those we meet?  Are we letting God use us to help others as He used Titus to comfort Paul?  Have you said, “Good to see you” to someone today?