Encouragement

Maddie ran into the kitchen yesterday morning shortly after I arrived and said, "Wow, Nonnie you look beautiful!" That made my day, indeed my week.

The minister at the Mosaic Church where we went yesterday spoke on the importance of community and encouragement. (See BST's Sunday blog).

Encouragement is one of my favorite topics and one in which I believe mightly. One of the downsides of retirement is that one no longer works in a community environment where encouragement and affirmation flow (or should). Teachers, parents, principals, etc. keep each other going with affirmation.

One of my favorite books is The Power of Encouragement by Jeanne Doering. I think it is now out of print. In chapter 1, she tells about beginning a Barnabas Committee with other students while in college. Their goal was to encourage the faculty with notes, small gifts of candy, apples, etc. I like Peterson's take in Romans 12 in The Message: "Bless your enemies; no cursing under breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're; share tears with they're down. Get along with each other...." If the church could only learn the lesson of encouragement. Isn't it amazing how much easier it is to be negative than to be positive?

Encouragement means "to draw alongside." It is much more than passing out "warm fuzzies" (although that is important too.) It means being caretakers of one another. The minister said yesterday said that we should be involved with others so closely that we know when they need encouragement, and they know when we do. Maybe we need more sermons on the "one another" passages. Another Peterson passage from Hebrews 10, "Let us see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out.... and I. Thess. 5 "So speak encouraging words to one another . Build up hope so you will all be together in this. no one left out, no one left behind."

It is in the small things, actions and words that we give grace to one another--Do something today.