Building One Another  

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11

Always Have an Empty Chair!

Dear Friend,

The idea of the empty chair offers a great way to encourages groups to welcome new participants. If the group is open to new people, have an empty chair present every meeting!

The concept of the empty chair extends to our personal lives as well!

Ask yourself, “Am I open to an empty chair in my personal life? Am I open to new acquaintances, new friends while growing more deeply with the friends I have?

Jesus told his disciples, “I have called you friends!” He didn’t call them disciples (although disciples they were) or clients or parishioners. He called them friends, and Jesus had many other friends in addition to the Twelve!

“Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold.” The Girl Scouts got it right!

You are not a Lego block that is limited by its eight stubs to the number of blocks it can connect with. You are more like Velcro!

Always have an open chair – and ask the Lord who loves you to seat someone in it – and then have another open chair!

Joy to you – Stan  

‍© Copyright 2024 E. Stanley Ott

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1. Consider your friendship circle - near and far - and ask yourself, "Am I open to an empty chair - to the possibility of additional friends?"
2. If you are willing to be a person of the empty chair, will it be a passive chair - open to people as they happen along - or an active one in which you take the initiative seek to fill the chair?"
3. Ask our Lord to help you grow more deeply in friendship with the friends you have - while being open to the next person our Lord would like you to know and be known by.

Photo from Unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/a-person-holding-out-their-hands-in-the-air-bZgaC0qvf7A