The Connection Corner

A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.

More Than a Nice Thought

Daily Devotional, Tammi Arender

Hebrews 10:24 — Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

Emily Bissell once said, “Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.”

I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.

Because you know what?

We can have good intentions all day long.

We can talk about kindness.

We can believe in generosity.

We can think all the right thoughts and say all the right things.

And still leave somebody standing all alone.

I mean, how many times have you thought about calling someone, but never actually picked up the phone?

Or noticed somebody having a hard day and thought, I really should check on them.

But then life got busy.

Something else came up.

And before you knew it, the moment had passed.

I think we’ve all been there.

But when I look at the life of Jesus, something stands out to me.

Jesus didn’t just talk about love. He moved toward people with it.

He noticed the ones everybody else overlooked.

He touched people others wouldn’t go near.

He stopped for the hurting.

He fed the hungry.

He made room for people who had been pushed aside.

His love wasn’t just something He talked about.

It was something people experienced.

And ultimately, He demonstrated the depth of that love by giving His life for us.

That’s a lot to think about as we move through another ordinary day, isn’t it?

Because most of us won’t be called to do something extraordinary today.

We’ll go to work.

Take care of our families.

Run errands.

Answer emails.

Do the same things we did yesterday.

But somewhere in the middle of all that ordinary life, there will probably be an opportunity to love somebody well.

Maybe it’s making that phone call you’ve been putting off.

Maybe it’s encouraging a coworker who hasn’t seemed quite like themselves lately.

Maybe it’s sitting with someone who’s lonely.

Or noticing the person everybody else seems to walk right past.

And here’s where Hebrews 10:24 challenges me.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”

I love that.

Let us think of ways.

In other words, don’t just wait for kindness to happen by accident.

Be intentional about it.

Pay attention.

Look for opportunities.

Think about what someone else might need and how you could help.

And don’t miss the other part of that verse.

We’re supposed to motivate one another.

That means the way we love people can encourage them to love somebody else.

Have you ever watched someone do something really kind and thought, You know what? I want to be more like that.

Maybe someone paid for a stranger’s meal.

Maybe you watched a friend quietly help somebody who was struggling.

Or maybe somebody showed up for you when you needed them most.

And their kindness stayed with you.

It made you want to do something for someone else.

That’s what happens when love gets moving.

One act of kindness encourages another.

One person chooses to care, and somebody else is inspired to do the same.

And suddenly, what started as one small decision reaches further than anybody expected.

Friend, the world doesn’t have a shortage of people who think kindness is a good idea.

What we need are people willing to put those good thoughts into motion.

People who don’t just say, “Somebody ought to do something.”

People who are willing to say, “Maybe that somebody is me.”

And here’s the beautiful thing.

You don’t have to have a lot of money.

You don’t have to have a perfect schedule.

And you certainly don’t have to wait until you’ve figured out some grand gesture.

You just have to be willing to notice someone and take the next step.

Because sometimes love looks like a meal.

Sometimes it looks like a text message.

Sometimes it’s a hug, a listening ear, or a few minutes of your time.

And sometimes the smallest act of love becomes the very thing that encourages somebody else to keep going.

So before today gets away from you, I want to challenge you.

Don’t just think about being kind.

Don’t just hope somebody knows you care.

And don’t assume somebody else will take care of it.

Consider one person.

Someone who could use a little encouragement.

Someone who needs to know they haven’t been forgotten.

Someone God has placed in your path.

Think about what love might look like for them today.

And then?

Do something.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Have you ever intended to encourage or help someone but never followed through? What kept you from acting?
Who has demonstrated Christlike love to you through something they actually did? How did it affect you?
What does it mean to intentionally consider how to encourage someone instead of simply waiting for an opportunity?
How might one act of kindness inspire someone else to show love or generosity?
Who is one person God has placed in your life who could use a tangible expression of love today?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

Who have I been thinking about encouraging, and what can I actually do for them today?

October 20, 2026/by Tammi Arender

The Hundred-Dollar Handshake

Bri Dunn, Daily Devotional

Psalms 112:4-5 — Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.

My mom had something I like to call the “Hundred-Dollar Handshake.”

And let me tell you, she was good at it.

I remember watching her do this at church when I was growing up.

Now, you’ve got to understand. Twenty-five or thirty years ago, a hundred-dollar bill was a pretty big deal.

I mean, that’s not money you just casually handed somebody on your way out of Sunday school.

At least, that’s what I thought.

But Mom?

Oh, she had a different way of looking at things.

We’d be standing around after church, talking to people, when I’d see her spot somebody across the room.

And then she’d reach into her purse.

And I’d think, Oh, here she goes again.

She’d pull out a hundred-dollar bill, fold it up in her hand, and make her way across the room.

She’d give that person a hug.

Whisper something in their ear.

Slip that money into their hand.

And then she’d just walk away.

No announcement.

No big production.

No waiting around for someone to thank her.

Just a hug, a handshake, and a hundred dollars.

And there I was, watching the whole thing, thinking…

Mom! Why are you giving away all our money? Don’t you know I need new cleats?

I’m serious!

I thought we were poor!

And the funny thing is, we didn’t have a whole lot of money to spare.

But Mom knew something I hadn’t figured out yet.

You don’t have to have a lot to live generously.

She wasn’t waiting until we had more money.

She wasn’t waiting until every need in our own house had been met and there was plenty left over.

She simply paid attention.

If she saw someone who needed encouragement, she encouraged them.

If someone needed help, she found a way to help.

And sometimes, that help came folded inside a hundred-dollar handshake.

Looking back, I realize something I didn’t understand as a kid.

Mom wasn’t just giving away money.

She was letting people know they mattered.

She saw them.

She noticed their struggles.

And instead of walking past and hoping somebody else would do something, she chose to be that somebody.

That’s what I think about when I read Psalm 112.

It describes people who trust God and whose lives are marked by generosity, compassion, and righteousness.

People who don’t just talk about loving others.

They actually do something about it.

And that’s what my mom modeled for me.

Now, I don’t want you to think she gave because she expected God to make her rich.

That wasn’t it.

She gave because she trusted Him.

And she believed that what she had wasn’t just for her.

It could be used to bless somebody else.

You know, when I was little, I measured what we had by what we could afford.

Did we have enough for new shoes?

Could we buy the things I wanted?

Why was Mom handing out hundred-dollar bills when I needed cleats?

But now that I’m older, I see our life a little differently.

We may not have had a lot of extra money.

But we were rich in the things that mattered.

Rich in compassion.

Rich in relationships.

Rich in the joy of helping somebody else.

And rich in the example of a woman who taught me that generosity isn’t just about what you give.

It’s about whether you’re paying attention.

And friend, I wonder who might be waiting for someone like that in your life today.

Maybe there’s a single mom who’s overwhelmed.

A neighbor who’s lonely.

A coworker who’s having a really hard week.

Or somebody at church who’s smiling on the outside but quietly carrying more than you know.

You might not have a hundred dollars to slip into their hand.

And that’s okay.

Because not every act of generosity comes with a dollar sign.

Sometimes it’s buying somebody lunch.

Sometimes it’s making a phone call.

Sometimes it’s sitting down long enough to really listen.

Sometimes it’s offering a ride, bringing a meal, or simply reminding someone that they haven’t been forgotten.

The most generous thing you give someone today might not come out of your wallet. It might come out of your heart.

So here’s my encouragement.

Start your own version of the Hundred-Dollar Handshake.

Look around.

Pay attention.

Ask God to help you notice the people He places in your path.

And when you see a need you can meet, don’t always wait for somebody else to do it.

Be generous with what you have.

Because years from now, somebody might not remember exactly what you gave them.

But they’ll remember that you saw them.

They’ll remember that you cared.

And they just might pass that kindness on to somebody else.

My mom probably never imagined that all those little handshakes would become one of the greatest lessons she ever taught me.

But here I am, all these years later, still talking about them.

And I’ve finally figured out something.

Mom wasn’t giving away our riches. She was showing me what made us rich.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Who has modeled generosity in your life? What did their example teach you about caring for others?
Have you ever held back from helping someone because you felt you didn’t have enough to give?
What’s the difference between giving to someone and genuinely noticing what they need?
Is there someone in your church, workplace, or neighborhood who might be quietly struggling and could use encouragement?
What do you have to offer today—money, time, attention, encouragement, or practical help—that could make a difference in someone’s life?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

Who might God be asking me to notice today, and what do I already have that I could give?

October 19, 2026/by Bri Dunn

Before the Answer Came

Daily Devotional, Linda Meyers

Psalm 56:3 — But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

The waiting was the hardest part.

That’s what Kristine told us when she called the radio station.

A year earlier, she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer.

And now, here she was again.

Sitting in a doctor’s office because she’d had a cough that just wouldn’t go away.

A whole month of coughing.

And if you’ve ever walked through a cancer diagnosis, you know how quickly your mind can go to the worst possible place.

What if it’s back?

What if it’s in my lungs?

What if I have to go through all of this again?

The doctor ordered an X-ray.

And then came those words nobody likes to hear.

We’ll call you with the results.

So Kristine walked out to her car.

She climbed inside, closed the door, and sat there.

Waiting.

Bracing herself for a phone call that could change everything.

You know those moments, don’t you?

When your mind is racing, your heart is pounding, and you can’t do a single thing to make the answer come any faster.

You just have to wait.

And sometimes, waiting can feel like the loneliest place in the world.

But Kristine wasn’t alone.

As she sat there in her car, the radio was playing.

And then she heard Lauren Daigle singing “You Say.”

No, wait. It was another song.

“Be Okay.”

And as she listened to those words of reassurance, the tears began to fall.

She told us later that in that moment, the song felt like more than music.

It felt like God was gently reminding her of something she’d almost forgotten in the middle of her fear.

I’m still here.

Not I promise the test will come back clear.

Not You’ll never have to face another difficult diagnosis.

Just a reminder that whatever that phone call brought, she would not be facing it alone.

About twenty minutes later, her phone rang.

It was the doctor’s office.

There was no sign of cancer.

Can you imagine the relief?

After all that fear, all those terrible possibilities running through her mind, she finally had an answer.

And it was good news.

But when Kristine called to tell us her story, there was something else she wanted us to understand.

Something that mattered even before the results came back.

God had been there the whole time.

He was there in the doctor’s office.

He was there when she walked to her car.

He was there when she sat behind the steering wheel, afraid of what the next phone call might bring.

And He was there during those twenty long minutes when she didn’t know what was coming next.

I think that’s what makes Psalm 56:3 so powerful.

David wrote, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”

Did you notice what he didn’t say?

He didn’t say, When everything works out, I’ll trust You.

Or When I finally get the answer I want, I’ll trust You.

He said, “When I am afraid.”

Right there.

In the middle of the uncertainty.

Before he knew how things would turn out.

That’s when he chose to trust God.

And friend, maybe that’s where you are today.

Maybe you’re waiting for test results.

Maybe you’re waiting for a phone call, a job opportunity, an answer about your marriage, or news about someone you love.

Maybe your mind has already imagined a hundred different endings, and most of them aren’t good.

I wish I could tell you that every phone call will bring the news you’re hoping for.

I can’t.

Sometimes the answer is wonderful.

Sometimes it’s heartbreaking.

And sometimes the waiting lasts a whole lot longer than twenty minutes.

But here’s what I can tell you.

God doesn’t wait for the answer to arrive before He shows up.

He’s with you while you’re waiting.

While you’re wondering.

While you’re trying to hold yourself together.

And even when you’re too afraid to know what to pray.

You don’t have to have the next twenty minutes figured out.

You don’t have to know how the story ends.

You can simply take the next breath, bring your fear to God, and remember that He is there.

Because sometimes the greatest comfort isn’t knowing what’s going to happen.

It’s knowing Who is with you before it does.

So if you’re waiting on an answer today, let me leave you with the words David prayed.

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”

Not after the answer comes.

Not when the fear finally disappears.

Right now.

Because God is already there.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What are you waiting on right now that’s creating fear or uncertainty in your life?
When you’re waiting for an answer, does your mind tend to imagine the worst? What helps you bring those thoughts back to God?
Have you ever experienced God’s comfort before a difficult situation was resolved?
How does it change your perspective to know that God’s presence isn’t dependent on receiving the outcome you hoped for?
What would it look like to trust God with just the next twenty minutes instead of trying to figure out the entire future?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

Can I trust that God is with me right now, even before I know how this story ends?

L Y R I C S

You’re gonna be okay
You’re, you’re gonna be okay
Oh, the sun will keep on risin’ in that old familiar way
And every little thing is gonna be okay

You’re gonna be alright
Darlin’, you’re, you’re gonna be alright
‘Cause the stars’ll keep on shinin’ through the darkest night
And you can know you’re gonna be alright

Lift your eyes to the hills
Remember where your help comes from
Lift your eyes to the hills
You’ll never face a valley alone
‘Cause even when your heart is breakin’
And you’ve gone and lost your way
You’re, you’re gonna be okay

You’re gonna be okay
I know that you’re, you’re gonna be okay
Not a care in this whole world can take that truth away
You’re, you’re gonna be okay

You’re gonna be alright
Darlin’, you’re, you’re gonna be alright
At the end of all our breath, when we’re beckoned on to the light
Love’ll meet you there, you’re gonna be alright

Oh, the end of all our breath is the beginning of new life
You’re, you’re gonna be alright

Songwriters: Ellie Holcomb / Lauren Ashley Daigle

October 18, 2026/by Linda Meyers