I’ve been thinking about encouragement and discouragement and how it seems to cycle around for people. We all get discouraged in life at certain times, and we all benefit from encouragement when it comes. Encouragement can take many forms, be it from a song, movie, poem, or even a kind word from a friend. For the Christian we have prayer and God’s Word that can speak against lies with truth. God also told us to build each other up and encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It is especially important to do at times when many people might start to despair or give into fear. Don’t forget your faith. We do have a hope.
I recently watched Pollyanna with my family and think I appreciate it even more now than when I was a child. This was a girl who had lost her parents and still had reason to smile. She endeared a whole town to her just through her positive outlook on life. When she wanted a doll but a pair of crutches came, she was sad. However, her dad helped her see by playing “the glad game” that there’s always something you can be glad about. She was thankful that she didn’t have to use the crutches. I won’t spoil the end of the movie, but discouragement and encouragement are definitely running themes in the movie. I wish I were a bit more like Pollyanna, but that is not an easy feat. Perhaps some people think I am too much like her and too positive, especially if you read the last post. However, just because someone is a confident swimmer does not mean they are a confident diver. Maybe they are scared of heights? We all have our areas of confidence and our areas of weakness, worries, or fears. Mine are different and I too am not always so positive... Germs may not be my personal cause for alarm, but I sympathize with those for whom it is. There are more “at-risk” people than myself and except for essentials like groceries, it is for that reason I am also following the stay-at-home guidelines. We are to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as for our neighbors, aka the rest of the world. Do what you can when the opportunity arises, but at your discretion. Like if you are 90 years old, you might not be doing the same things for your neighbors as your 30-year old neighbor is and that’s okay. Each person does what they can with the talents and abilities God has given us. Sometimes all you can do at the moment is pray. I can think of some times when I needed some encouragement. The greatest encouragement comes from God. However, God can also use people and things around us to encourage others and that is what is precisely on my mind right now. How can I be better about encouraging others? Sometimes it is in admitting that I myself sometimes need encouragement as well. If we don’t open up, how do we expect others to open up? Relationships are give and take. Some people wear their heart on their sleeves, but others keep it safely locked away. Why is it so hard to be vulnerable? Whereas traditionally I tend to keep my struggles to myself, I will try to be more open when opportunities arise to share. It helps to know you’re not alone. Perhaps that’s why music is so powerful, because it puts into words what we’ve been feeling. Somebody out there gets it and we want to sing it out with them. It also helps to have an outlet as well. Some people paint, or scream apparently, though I don’t find that particularly therapeutic. I write. Poems help express my feelings and I hope they touch a bit on the experiences of others as well. And this blog in effect is a bit like a journal, only that I hope it may help someone to feel less alone and perhaps answer some questions about God or life. Not that I have or know all the answers because I don’t, but I hope to point you to the One that does. My greatest question is that of suffering. I don’t think I’ll ever have a satisfactory answer and we won’t know all the answers. Only God knows everything. However, I know God is real and that He works all things for the good of them that love Him (Romans 8:28). I know that He has plans for our welfare and not for woe (Jeremiah 29:11). I know that we must take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). I know these things for myself, but what makes me sad is that other people don’t. It is so easy to fall away when trials hit. I can understand why people lose their faith. However, God is what’s gotten me through my trials and I know He’ll get me through the trials to come. This is a broken world full of pain and suffering, but He has promised us that in the world to come there will be no more death, pain, or tears. That’s not in this life, but in the one to come. There are a lot of terrible injustices in this world and it can be depressing and overwhelming to think about just how many needs there exist that are not getting met. We can succumb to despair, or we can try to make a difference to at least one out there. Like that story about the child throwing sea stars back into the ocean. He couldn’t save them all, but he could make a difference to one. God makes all the difference. I’d love to be able to share that, but sadly I know that many are not ready or willing to listen. I can only pray for those that don’t. As for myself, as long as I get to be with God, I know I’ll have everything I need. If you don’t know the God of the Bible, feel free to email and ask me something and I’ll try my best to respond. I don’t know everything and keep learning new things, but I hope I can be of some help to you. We might discover some new things together. If you do know Him, then feel free to email me something as well. I could always use a little encouragement that somebody out there took the time to read something and maybe found it useful in their faith journey. Believer or not, let’s all encourage one another. It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). If you’re a believer, though not always easy, choose to be a light in a dark world. Comments are closed.
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DisclaimerWhile I love open discussions, not all internet users are kind. I'd like to build people up, not have others cut people down. Therefore, no comments, but feel free to email me if there's something you'd like to share with me. Archives
July 2020
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