Helping People: Priceless

We were encouraged lately to realize that we had been a help to a couple of people - actually more Tom than me but the principle still holds.
We were with a group of people attending a ceremony for a mutual friend. At lunch afterwards, we were sitting with a couple. I mentioned how I appreciated how supportive this couple - and this man particularly - had been to us. He is a quiet person but at a couple of gatherings for us when we were back in Chilton, he was there in the background, just letting us know he cared. He comes from a tight knit expanded family. They hang out together a lot and are very involved in each other's lives. He responded: "You (Tom and I) are just like family." I got teary eyed with the compliment but it made me realize we had had an impact in his life.
This past Friday we were with a couple who have gone through some big ups and downs. Early in their marriage especially, they had a lot of struggles. One night, the husband had been drinking and said some mean things to his wife. She wanted someone from the church to talk to him about this hurtful situation. Tom was planning to meet with the man the next day, but knowing Tom's low key ways, she didn't really expect him to confront her husband. When Tom met with him, he spoke to him about his need to step up to the plate. The guy was so surprised that Tom spoke to him like that. It stunned him and took him aback. He also took the advice seriously. The couple told us that Tom had been a big part in helping them.
There are times in life when we wonder if we are really affecting people. Those quiet consistent friendships and extensions of kindness do matter - wherever you are and whatever you are doing. These two encounters were priceless - can't buy that encouraging feeling that you have made a difference.