The Lost Art of Encouragement
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. -- Romans 15:5-6 (NIV)
Joy in the morning - This morning at the grocery store, I encountered two young moms with toddlers. One mom allowed her tiny daughter to push the shopping cart with baby brother in the cart alongside the cereal and vegetables. Tiny girl crashed into my cart twice, and both times she did her best to straighten the cart, without mom's help. Her mom and I laughed, redirected their cart, and chatted for a while. We had a great conversation about families. Then, I moved on to the next aisle and met another mom and her little boy shopper, jumping up in his cart basket. He proudly held up his toy for me to see while his mother wiped baby brother's sticky face. Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.
Kindness - I did not know either mom, but I stopped my pursuit of fresh bagels and spoke to both. We talked about parenting as well as the challenges women face to maintain peaceful homemaking in our culture. Without hesitation, I complimented the young moms for their patience, gentle teaching, and loving kindness with their children. As we parted ways, each mom thanked me and smiled. Living proof of this truth from Proverbs 22:6, (NKJV), Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Divine Appointment? - Maybe these aisle visits were a chance encounter for me as an older woman to be encouraged by the beauty and joy of the next two generations. Or maybe they were divine appointments ordained by our Heavenly Father to encourage those two young moms. I do not know, but Holy Spirit reminded of this Scripture, "Do not grow weary in well-doing, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up," (Galatians 6:9). Truth from our heavenly Father, both for me as an encourager and for the moms as they lovingly parent their little ones.
Shift the atmosphere with prayer -While finishing up in the store, I felt a pleasant sense of contentment and peace, a definite shift in my hurried "shop and run" attitude. At the self-check-out area, shoppers pushed and shoved toward open registers. While scanning my items, I prayed silently for others to experience Kingdom peace. And Holy Spirit brought this Word to me, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you," 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, (NKJV). Interestingly, two employees came to the check-out area then and helped customers with large orders. The mood in the area shifted, and I just smiled and finished up. And I thought about this Scripture, "The Lord is righteous, He has cut the cords of the wicked," Psalm 129:4, (NIV).
The widow - In the parking lot, after returning my shopping cart, I saw an elderly woman sitting in her motorized cart. I noticed that she was using an oxygen device. She struggled to arrange her grocery bags in the basket and had trouble getting up from the cart. I stopped and asked if she might allow me to load her vehicle for her. She hesitated at first, then said "Yes, please do." While I unloaded the cart, she told me her husband had died a few months ago. As we untangled her oxygen tube, I listened to more of her story. She shared her faith and candidly said, "I can't just give up, I have to keep going." She thanked me several times for my kindness. We hugged and parted as friends.
Be intentional - And I thought about the words Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:34-35, (NIV), "When I was hungry, you gave Me something to eat." Truly, we are the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. He taught us not just to pray for others but to demonstrate His love, hope, and encouragement through our words and deeds. In the daily rhythm of life, there are many opportunities to interact with others and to show them the love of Christ. Keep your heart and your eyes open for those divine appointments. Sometimes, a smile or a kind word transforms a person's day. As it is written in 2 Thessalonians 3:13, (NIV), "And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good."
Questions for Reflection:
1. What types of things encourage you in your daily walk of faith?
2. Do you seek others to provide an encouraging witness? If so, what types of things do you do? If you don't, why not?
