Are you acting on your promptings?
Posted by Ilka Flood | Posted in Inspiration, Uncategorized | Posted on 01-11-2009
Okay, what are promptings? Promptings are those powerful thoughts that enter your mind and prompt you to do something and in a flash are gone again like … I really should give Mary a call and see how she’s coping after her divorce. Or, I better not forget Joe’s birthday next Tuesday. Or, I haven’t seen Mike in a while. I should give him a call. Or, I should go over and welcome that new neighbor. Or, that nurse at the doctor’s office was really helpful. I should send a thank-you note. Well, those kind of thoughts. You know. You probably have them every day. But are you acting on them or do they just leave your mind unanswered?
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” _Maya Angelou
Some years back when my kids where playing Rollerhockey, I found an article about a young goalie in a Rollerhockey magazine. His name was Jason and he was a great fan of then Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy. Now, all in itself that is nothing unusual. But Jason had a heart condition and was waiting for a transplant. The article told his story about his love for the game and his never-give-up attitude. It really touched my heart. Jason wasn’t about to let a failing heart slow him down. He played whenever his health would allow it and he was the star of his team. He loved the sport of hockey and Patrick Roy was his big idol. He wanted to be just like him. What a fighter!
After reading Jason’s story, I couldn’t help but feel a strong prompting to do something special for this amazing kid. Since Patrick Roy lived just down the street from us at the time, I came up with the idea to make a color copy of the article and have him sign it. Patrick Roy is a great guy with a big heart. Especially for kids. (I remember him playing hockey out in the street with all the neighborhood kids.) So I went over to his house and left the article with his wife Michele for Patrick to sign because he was out of town. A few days later I picked it up. Not only had Patrick signed it, but he had also written a personal note of encouragement for Jason. It was very nicely done.
When I got in touch with Jason’s dad, who lived in Longmont, CO, I found out that Jason was living back east with his mom and sister. He was due to come to Denver for a check up at Children’s hospital soon and that’s where we planned to surprise him. I never forget the look on his face when I presented him the framed and autographed copy of his article. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it. I wanted to do something special for this great kid. Make him feel good. But it made me feel great at the same time. Jason’s huge smile will forever be edged into my memory and I’m forever grateful for having had the privilege to meet him. What an inspiration he was for other young athletes…and for my own kids. Unfortunately, just a few months after the transplant, Jason got an infection and he passed away at the age of 16. His dad told me that he was laid to rest in his #33 Avalanche jersey (Patrick Roy’s number). His sister now has his autographed copy of his article.
I am so glad I acted on my prompting. The experience of this small act of kindness changed my life forever. It also made an impact on my boys. Do you sometimes get promptings to do something? Are you acting on them or do they just pass? Is somebody waiting to hear from you? Don’t let those feelings go by unanswered. Act on them!
