"Encourage- the act of inspiring others with renewed courage, spirit, or hope. When we encourage others, we spur them on, we stimulate and affirm them. We appreciate what a person does, but we affirm who a person is."-Charles Swindoll, Strengthening Your Grip
As I contemplate seeds to plant for my garden this spring, my mind wandersto the possibilities of being able to plant "seeds" of encouragement or hope in others. I would buy seeds of Hope, Love, Kindness, Courage, Perseverance, Joy and Faith to "plant" in my family, friends and children I work with. What if we could just open up a head, and pour a few seeds from whichever sack of seeds needed. I could use some of those seeds myself!
While this method of planting encouragement is not possible, there are other ways that don't require that much more effort and will produce a big harvest.
One of the easiest ways to encourage others is with our words...a good Mom or teacher, or wife, or friend knows that noticing and speaking to those actions/attributes that are good in a person encourages their growth. When my youngest son was a little guy, I prayed with him every night, just as with my other kids. I made sure at the end of our prayers to always thank God for my son's "strong helping and building hands". Those hands may have gotten into some trouble that day, but I wanted to encourage my boy in the ability to help others I saw in him, and that God could use. Over the years, I've seen his heart and hands develop and he has become a helper and builder... of Godly relationships and of things!
Other than cherished Bible verses that encourage me, I have a small clipping from a magazine that my Mom sent me about 29 years ago. It has yellowed over the years and is even falling apart, but it always has the power to lift my spirits. This is what is says: "Life is a strange, two-sided thing. A dirge to chant or a song to sing. Nothing adds beauty and harmony to our life and the lives of others more than the power of enthusiasm. " To the side of the printed words, she simply wrote my name.
I remember receiving it and thinking, "Wow, I never thought about being an enthusiastic person". My mom saw something in me that I never even realized. We each have the power to affirm others in this way.
Sometimes spoken or even written words can be that which help you keep hanging on in the really hard, tough times. The right words can be a lifeline when you're about to give in or give up. I know in my own life others have encouraged, or put "fresh courage" into me when I was in despair over a situation. I pray that God would help us be that encourager to others when they need something to hang on to.
We recently had an event at the Taste and See Coffee House where we made knotted scarves to remind us that God's word and His promises are the true encouraging words and even the "knots" we need to tie and then hang on to when the going gets rough. Here are some of my favorite "knot" verses:
"May the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.-Thessalonians 2:16-17
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified..the the Lord your God goes with you'he will never leave you nor forsake you."-Deuteronomy 3:16
"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust in me."-John 14:1
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."-Galatians 6:9 (Goes along with our seed story!)
"So we're not giving up. How could we? Even though, on the outside, it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace." -2 Corinthians 4:16 (The Message translation)
"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."-Psalm 33:22
Keep these verses for when you're "at the end of your rope", or share them with someone else .
We also made our scarves (directions follow) and put them in paper sacks..you could make one for someone and stick these verses in the sack as well for someone who needs encouragement.
With Spring Break coming, you may have the chance to plant some seeds of encouragement to younger friends of family members. Use a brown bag or sack and:
-pack a snack or lunch to have a picnic. Talk about what God has been doing in their life.
-gather the troops and get some trash bags and start Spring Cleaning with a 100 thing decluttering challenge. Have them look through their things and you do the same to find 100 things to bag up for donation or the trash! Talk about how God is the God of order and creation, not Chaos!
-Go collect a brown bag full of seeds to plant. Early spring seeds such as lettuce, spinach and some flowers can be planted in potting soil in egg cartons, even in empty egg shells and transplanted outside later.
Discuss the seed lesson above in that we reap what we sow..if we plant (act) kindness, we get kindness back usually, or plant seeds of anger, we harvest those.
-make some cookies or snack mix and sack up to deliver to someone along with smiles and kind words
Share these words with your fellow encouragers:
"We mustn't give up! We might be the one to communicate hope to someone else, maybe by a gesture, maybe without words. We must love and pray and hold one another up/" Mary Crowley
Directions for Knotted Scarves (idea from Michelle's Crafts in Hayward, Wisconsin)
Supplies: 2" in diameter plastic or metal ring and 4 to 5 different yarns. (Note-this can get expensive if you buy new yarns yourself, you may want to go together with friends to each buy a yarn type for this project) Choose yarns of different textures and weights, use some silver or gold or shiny for "bling" if you want.
Your yarns can be all of one color family or combine several colors.
Cut the yarns into 7 foot lengths. about 4-5 of each yarn type.
Wrap the ring with one of your yarns. Double each yarn strand and attach to the ring by pulling the ends through the loop of the yarn around the ring. Repeat with each yarn until half the diameter of the ring is full. Place the scarf around the back of your neck with the ring in front and pull the ends of the scarf through the ring. To keep the ends of the yarns from unraveling, tie a knot on each stand.
Enjoy and let the knots remind you that God's promises keep us from becoming completely unraveled! He always gives us fresh courage and hope.
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