Encouragement

I started a new devotional book today – A Daily Woman’s Devotional.  Today’s devotional was on encouragement.  Hebrews 3:13 – “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today.”  A few things really caught my attention as I was reading it.

Encouragement is fuel for the soul. 

God puts us in places and situations with people whose lives we can impact with the simplest of phrases. 

Don’t miss the opportunity.


One of the thought provoking questions at the end asked, “who has been an encouragement to you?”  “Have you let them know?”  These questions started me thinking over the past sixteen months in particular since Scott’s death.  There have been so many people who have been an encouragement to me.  I have tried to let you know if you have been an encouragement with a timely word or thought, but I know that I have missed thanking many people.   There have been many times when a simple word or thought shared gave me the strength to keep pushing forward.  There have been other times when the simple word or thought shared has forced me to face negative thinking and look to God for strength.  Then there have been times that the caring word or thought has gotten me through the day.  God has used each and every one of your caring words or thoughts to help me to not feel so alone, to be sad for our loss but treasuring our memories, to keep me focused on God, and to give me wisdom and strength in helping Jaelyn on her grief journey and with all the major changes in our lives.  Just know how special you all are to Jaelyn and I.  Whether you have come along side us in prayer, thought, word, or deed, you have been a vital part of our journey, and for that we are deeply thankful.

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