Exuding Praise
Thanks to the patient instruction of Jimmy, my wonderful mandolin teacher, I can now play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
However, if you heard Jimmy talking to me during my lessons, you would think I was the next Mozart. He exudes praise and encouragement. He says things like this:
- You are doing so go-o-o-d (imagine a Southern drawl and a great big smile).
- If there was a picture in the dictionary of how to hold your right hand, it would be a picture of Charlene.
- I changed the way I wear my strap to the way you wear your strap, and now I’m playing better than ever.
Believe me, if you heard me pick out “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” you would definitely not think I was the next Mozart. You would think: “She is at the very, very beginning stages of learning—and maybe next time she won’t strum a clunker.”
This very nice guy has played on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. He is a gifted songwriter. He is an amazing, versatile musician. His shows are so fun. He is truly an entertainer. He could be impatient. He could be condescending. He could be frustrated. But then, he wouldn’t be Jimmy.
As I said, Jimmy exudes praise. I looked up exuding to be sure I had the spelling correctly. I was delighted with the definition. To exude is to display something conspicuously or abundantly.
Jimmy believes in me. He believes I can play. He makes me believe it, too. The world needs more Jimmys.
Therefore, encourage one another
and build one another up,
just as you also are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11