Encouragement

I can be a better encourager.

One of my faults is that I expect the routine things to be done and to be done well. Not much wrong with that except that I neglect to thank those who did them or to encourage those doing them. I need to tie a string around my finger to remind me to be encouraging and thankful.

I'm especially convicted of this shortfall when others encourage me.

Within the last week I have been encouraged in some really phenomenal and right-on-time ways.

My friend Archie Mason is pastor of Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He and his staff pray for other pastors regularly. I received a card in the mail from the CBC staff last week letting me know they had prayed for me and our church. Pastors have their ups and downs like anyone else in any other job. This card came at a perfect time for me. Thanks, Archie!

One of my mentors passed away last week and his funeral was Saturday. Wylie Jones was my pastor when I surrendered to the ministry. He was the first pastor I served under. He was the first pastor to mentor me in ministry. I owe a lot to him. The church where he and I served together was packed. His daughter and son-in-law led the service. As they talked about Wylie's life and his commitment to serving the Lord, I realized that any Christian's life should be marked by that kind of commitment. Even in his death Wylie Jones was still mentoring me. Thanks, Wylie.

I stepped onto the stage at church Sunday before the worship service started to put my things where I needed them. I noticed a mess on the pulpit! It was more than a dozen sticky notes that the children's Bible study class had put there. Each one had a note or a picture on it. The kids and their teachers had taken time to encourage me. I use a small, lightweight pulpit so before I took the notes off I picked up the pulpit and showed the whole church what the kids had done. That was a great pick-me-up. Thanks, kids!

Sunday afternoons usually provide me a very short period of time to sit in my recliner in gym shorts and tshirt. Sometimes I watch a little NASCAR. Sometimes I piddle online. Sometimes I nap. Sometimes I edit the audio from the morning sermon. Yesterday I was in between piddling online and editing the audio when the doorbell chimed. I opened the door and there stood a friend from my high school days in Dardanelle. Mitchell Smith and I played football together and hadn't seen each other in over 30 years. We are Facebook friends, so you know that means. Anyway, Mitchell had posted a few month ago that when he came to Arkansas this summer he would come to church with me. He lives in Washington and got in late Saturday night. He missed church but still came to see me.

Mitchell shared his testimony of turning to the Lord and the blessings he encountered since then. He said he's listened to just about everything I've posted in the sermon archives. We talked for about 45 minutes and just shared how good God has been to each of us. It was one of the best Sunday afternoons I've ever had since playing in Dado's cotton trailer with my cousins 40 years ago . That was such an encouragement. Thanks, Mitchell!

So now I want to encourage you. I don't know what you face today. Every circumstance is different. But I've found that a kind word goes a long way. My kind word to you is, "Keep going! And trust God to help you keep going."