Therefore, Encourage One Another

In life, how many things do we come up against that tell us we can’t?  That we shouldn’t?  That we might as well not even bother trying?

Even - or maybe especially - when it comes to those “little things” that somehow wiggle into our minds and our hearts?

Maybe they go away for times or even for seasons, but then they surface again.  Just often enough to keep an undeniable hold. Those things we think we should maybe do or try, and maybe we would even like to do or try: “If only…”

Have you ever had something like that?

I have.

For as long as I can remember – expressing my thoughts and feelings has come most naturally, comfortably, and seemingly effectively to me through writing.

That has not always proven to feel like the most useful life skill or the most practical way to navigate the day-to-day of real life. 

There have been many, many times when the ability to speak what I have felt in a moment might have truthfully served me much better. 

But it seems that is just not the way God made me. 

I have always felt I could process life in such a better way when given the chance to quietly think about what I mean and most want to say - and then put it into writing.

Looking back at my life; the things I have learned; the jobs I have had; I can’t ignore that the thing I liked most in every situation was the chance to write things. 

Never mind that if I count all the jobs I’ve ever had where writing was supposed to be my actual function - I get a total of approximately:  Zero. 

Whether or not we can necessarily clearly see reasons that we think make sense, life does have a funny way of continually presenting us with the things we are meant to do. 

Actually, I believe it’s God who relentlessly taps us on the shoulder until we acknowledge those things He means for us:  The things He perfectly and uniquely created us to do.

I also think He knows when we just don’t seem to get the message on our own.  Or, when we get it but allow doubt to make us second-guess whether it’s really Him we hear. 

Don’t we sometimes try to explain away those things that keep landing on our hearts as just our own silly dreams that could surely never come true?  It feels much more practical and certainly safer to try to ignore them, rather than to pursue them and risk feeling the disappointment of finding out for SURE that they really were just silly dreams.  

I think, when we allow our heads to overrule our hearts this way, that’s often when God goes a step further to nudge us:  By gracefully surrounding us with just the right people to encourage us toward the things He means for us.

That’s exactly why and how I have ended up right here, right now. 

If you’re reading this as I launch this page, there is an excellent chance that YOU are one of the people He has placed in my path to encourage me to just keep writing.  Even if I’m not sure of exactly WHAT I am supposed to write – or why.  (Because, honestly, I’m not.) 

I’ve learned some things in the process of getting to this point.  Here is one of them:  NO word of encouragement is ever wasted. 

So, if you have ever told me that you like reading what I have to say, that it has ever meant anything to you or helped you at all, or that you hope I will keep writing, then please let this be my chance to extend to you a heartfelt THANK YOU.  I don’t know if I can possibly express how much that has meant to me as a reminder that maybe there really IS a purpose in this.  Because if it matters or makes a difference to even one person, then it’s worth it.

There are so many other ways you could have chosen to spend the time it has taken you to read this.  Thank you for being here. 

Thank you for encouraging ME to be here.

I might never know exactly what I’m supposed to write or why.  But today, I feel blessed to have this space.  I promise to use it as well as I know how: 

“For to everyone who has [and values his blessings and gifts from God, and has used them wisely], more will be given, and [he will be richly supplied so that] he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have [because he has ignored or disregarded his blessings and gifts from God], even what he does have will be taken away.” Matthew 25-29 AMP

I promise to do my best to steward the things that bless me by sharing them with others.  There are enough sources of noise and things to scroll in this world.  I promise to do my best to make this feel like more than that.  Instead, I want it to feel like a place where we can all belong.  Relate.  Connect.  Draw encouragement.  A place we can talk about all the things that make up Real Life. 

As we embark on this journey, please know that I have a special spot saved just for you. 

I hope you’ll join me.  It wouldn’t be the same without you along for the ride. 

“I think anything, any dream you have, anything you want to do successfully in a big way, you need to do faithfully in a small way.” – Ruth Chou Simons