Be Encouragers

Good Afternoon Edgemont Family!

I hope today has been a good day for you. I say that, because I recognize that today may have been a tough day. In the world we live in, and I would say especially for us in the South, we are really good at the pleasantries. We have great sayings to say how we are doing; better than I deserve, fine as frog hair split three ways, if I was any better I would be twins (personal favorite). Truth is, these continue to be difficult times. Navigating the pandemic has made everything more difficult. This gets compounded day after day which can leave us feeling exhausted. We try to hide it, try to power through, try to remind ourselves that someone always has it harder than we do. While that is true, someone else having more trouble does not make what we are experiencing less. Everyone is having some form of difficulty right now; it is easy to become tired and disheartened.

To me, this underscores the desperate need for encouragement in our world. In a recent devotional, I was inspired by this quote from an Italian teacher named Enrico Galiano (for the full article check out https://www.plough.com/en/topics/community/education/serendipity),

Now, more than ever, I understand what a difference a teacher can make in a student’s life, and what a difference a student can in a teacher’s life, how much we ourselves can be the diagonal that sends an otherwise straight line on a detour, the event that changes fate, with nothing more than a word, a glance, a pat on the back at the right moment, a “you can do it” when everything seems to be going badly.

I love that idea of teachers and students being “diagonals” for one another, being the catalyst that puts someone on the path to a better moment, day, or even life. I believe this is the calling for us as Christians. We are the people who get to share the unshakable love of God with one another and the world. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” Church, I want to offer you encouragement. It is okay to feel tired and overwhelmed, it is okay to time for yourself and your family. You, as yourself, are enough. God’s love is always there for you. Jesus is waiting to intercede as you pray. The Holy Spirit is there to empower you each and every day of your life. Be encouraged and then take up the mantle to be an encourager. The world needs us.

Pastor Henry