Encourage One Another

Nada, Thuong, and Kim stop by just to hang out with us.

Encouragement.
Who doesn’t need or appreciate being encouraged by someone else? We may sometimes be tempted to think that we manufacture our own strength, that we can somehow sustain ourselves with our positive attitude. But I think that deep down we are wired to need -and give- encouragement.

In the depths of our soul we recognize that the sum of our strengths, gifts, and talents leave us quite short of being self sufficient. In other words, we need each other. As I was sharing with the young Jewish man who came to visit (see Dec 22 blog), we each carry a piece of another’s puzzle. No one has all the pieces they need without engaging with others. One of the ways we share the piece (peace?) someone else needs is to speak encouragement in their life.

I remember this being modeled to me over twenty years ago by Dr. Terry Penniman. And it changed my life. I had the privilege of coteaching health care administration classes with Terry at the local community college. One day, we stopped by a local Dairy Queen for lunch. I was eager to grab a quick bite and visit with Terry before heading back to class. Terry, on the other hand, had cultivated the art of encouraging others. It had become part of who he was. Seeing the new store manager, Terry commented on what a nice job the young man had done cleaning up the place and making it a welcoming place to have lunch. Their conversation probably didn’t last more than a few minutes. But from the expression on the young manager’s face, I am certain it positively impacted his afternoon. Encouragement does that. It increase our capacity to carry on. It builds us up and gives us the strength to encourage others. (Thank you, Terry!)

And encouraging others pumps us up too. I like to share with others:

BLESSINGS ALWAYS TRAVEL ON TWO-WAY STREETS

Keeping our focus on strengthening others keeps us from focusing negatively on our own pity parties. Living with the intentional focus on building up each other gives us perspective and passion for living through whatever circumstances challenge us, including this present cancer.

And the beauty of encouragement is that there so many creative ways to encourage each other. An affirming word, recognizing someone’s value and contribution, a short handwritten note or brief email, a small (or extremely generous) gift, an engaging smile, a helpful deed performed without being asked.

It seems the only prerequisite is that it must be genuine. No form of insincere flattery will do. Attempts to just make someone feel better without valuing them ring hollow and will in the end discourage rather than encourage the other.

How have others encouraged you? How have you been encouraged? Share a comment by clicking ‘reply.’ Your contribution will likely be an encouragement to others. Spread the word and share the blog with others who need an encouraging word. You can click “Follow” at the top of the page to receive updates directly via email.

“Encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14

Don't be shellfish...