"Where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day."
Wouldn't it be great to live at home on the range? Wouldn't it be even better to live wherever we are right now, but to seldom hear a discouraging word?
Several years ago, we participated in a small group that studied Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages, and my primary love language was Words of Affirmation. I am just someone who likes to know that whatever I'm doing or saying or being seems alright to someone else. After "I love you," my next favorite words are, "You're special." Or, as Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber would say, "God made you special, and He loves you very much."
I've been thinking about encouragement lately. We recently attended the memorial service for a woman of God named Opal Rodgers. Opal had the gift of encouragement. She was a blesser. She wrote cards to people - for birthdays and anniversaries, but also "just because." On the day of her funeral, I heard several people say that they had often recieved cards from Opal, and that they had held on to those cards. When we moved to Cape Girardeau three months ago, we received a card of welcome and enouragement from Opal. Even though we had never met her and she attended the Nazarene church in the neighboring town because it was closer to her home, she still reached out to let us know how happy she was that we had come to Cape Naz.
I've been blessed with some encouraging words lately, and while that's always meaningful to me, it is especially so now that we have entered into this new ministry experience. My whole attitude changes when I hear, "We're glad you're here. We think you're doing a good job." I'll hold on to those words and draw on them whenever I face doubt or discouragement.
Of course, being encouraged reminds me that I want to share encouraging words with others, too. It's easy, it doesn't cost very much, and it's almost always well-received. Now, I think I'd better go tell my kids, "You're special."
Wouldn't it be great to live at home on the range? Wouldn't it be even better to live wherever we are right now, but to seldom hear a discouraging word?
Several years ago, we participated in a small group that studied Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages, and my primary love language was Words of Affirmation. I am just someone who likes to know that whatever I'm doing or saying or being seems alright to someone else. After "I love you," my next favorite words are, "You're special." Or, as Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber would say, "God made you special, and He loves you very much."
I've been thinking about encouragement lately. We recently attended the memorial service for a woman of God named Opal Rodgers. Opal had the gift of encouragement. She was a blesser. She wrote cards to people - for birthdays and anniversaries, but also "just because." On the day of her funeral, I heard several people say that they had often recieved cards from Opal, and that they had held on to those cards. When we moved to Cape Girardeau three months ago, we received a card of welcome and enouragement from Opal. Even though we had never met her and she attended the Nazarene church in the neighboring town because it was closer to her home, she still reached out to let us know how happy she was that we had come to Cape Naz.
I've been blessed with some encouraging words lately, and while that's always meaningful to me, it is especially so now that we have entered into this new ministry experience. My whole attitude changes when I hear, "We're glad you're here. We think you're doing a good job." I'll hold on to those words and draw on them whenever I face doubt or discouragement.
Of course, being encouraged reminds me that I want to share encouraging words with others, too. It's easy, it doesn't cost very much, and it's almost always well-received. Now, I think I'd better go tell my kids, "You're special."
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