Encourager

It sounds so spiritual, so in touch with humanity, so... good. Encourager.

Easier said than done for some of us. Piece of cake for others. I have known some people that God had given them the gift of encouragement. For others it's a skill that needs to be learn and re-learned over time making a conscious decision to remember. There are as many different types of encouragers as personalities out there.


The cheerleaders are always cheering you on, duh! Whatever anyone says gets a "You can do it!!" attached to it. It is very uplifting and makes you feel good. They always notice your new hair cut or the 5 lbs. you worked so hard to lose.

On the opposite end we have the stern, pensive group that always has the exact Scripture to quote that ties perfectly with the situation at hand.

Most others realize that we all need encouragement, but hasn't always been modeled to them, or they are still learning the skill. They often quote personal life stories that had a happy ending to relate to the other person's problem. As I am going along with this challenge I received to pray for my husband for 30 days, I realize that my focus has been more on accomplishing and running toward an unclear goal than to stop to take a break and smell the roses. Running at full speed to what? or where? This morning I placed a big galloping horse (in my mind) with me on it pulling the reins to an abrupt stop to remind myself to look around and get engaged with what is going on in my surroundings. So, this morning I grieved with my hubby about Dan Fogelberg. I didn't realize that he was so upset about it. As a musician he connected with some of his music when he was a teenager. It may sound unimportant, but it was a special moment we had together where any other time I would have been too busy doing some secondary task. It was a good connecting time for us as we reminisced about his songs, and way more spiritual than me giving a half felt answer with a pensive look.

All this to say that being an encourager could be done in silence sometimes. Just sitting next to the person and being there for them.