September 23, 2025

The organization I work for, American Christian Fiction Writers, holds an in-person conference every year. It’s our busiest time, and it’s all hands on deck from the staff to make it work.

This year, the team arrived at our hotel, and we got registration packets ready and prepared for the arrival of over 300 attendees. My main job was working at the registration desk, which I love doing. I also was to teach a workshop with two of my friends.

The day after I arrived, my voice gave out. I got scratchier, then squeakier as the day went on and my voice was soon gone. Seriously? When my whole job at conference was to talk, whether giving attendees instructions or working with our wonderful volunteers. And don’t forget, the workshop was looming!

It was difficult not to wonder why God was shutting me up when I needed to talk the most! But then amazing things happened. Kindness abounded everywhere.

I’m not one to accept help easily. I’m pretty stoic and tend to just push through (despite being an emotional person). But the wonderful conference attendees weren’t going to let me merely endure.

Many brought me throat lozenges, tea, other medicine and vitamins. Anything they thought would help. First, I’m not a big medicine person, and I’m not a big homeopathic medicine person either – but I discovered a new throat lozenge that will be my go-to from now on. I’m also not a tea-drinker, but after those few days drowning in tea, maybe I can drink some now and again.

The biggest impact was from those who prayed. Some stopped by registration and said they woke up that morning and prayed for me. And still others stopped right where they were and took time to pray with me on the spot. This amazed me. Some were friends, but most were those I had just met.

And guess what? Those prayers made an impact. One of those prayer warriors even prayed about what I should be learning or hearing from God because my voice was gone. Talk about a perspective shift! Instead of being worried and upset that my voice left during such a critical week, I tried to pay attention to what was going on around me. Was God showing me something? Should I be listening more than talking? Those prayers greatly impacted me.

In the end, I feel like God was slowing me down a bit. And he showed me that I could accept help. It was someone else’s turn to be the encourager and the one providing the blessing. Yes, I felt infinitely blessed.

God works through others. Perhaps we’re not meant to be so stoic, and we’re supposed to let people in. Whether I’ll need to learn this lesson again and again, I promise I won’t forget the overwhelming kindness of those attendees at ACFW. They touched my heart in ways they won’t ever realize.

In case you were wondering, yes, I had enough of a voice to co-teach the workshop. I sounded hoarse and scratchy, but I had a voice. God is good.

How will you encourage someone today? Do you know someone who needs a prayer, or tea, or even a throat lozenge? The simplest things can have the biggest impact.

Let’s encourage one another.