A Note of Encouragement

from Ciloa

Encourage one another, all the more
as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25b

What if you knew...

Volume XVI, Issue 1

January 4, 2016

On Christmas Day, 2015, my grandson turned three. This is a fun, interesting age, and he is constantly making me-dare I say it-think. Always with the questions. His favorites are Why? and What?, each repeated often...very often. For example...

Play with me. Can't. Why? I'm working on something. What? Something to help people. What? A Note I send through the Internet. Why? Sometimes people aren't happy. Why? Bad things happen. What? Lots of things. They get sad or lonely or confused. (Followed by several more Why's and What's.)

And his questions, as usual, got me thinking.

What if...you knew a secret that could change the world...make it a better place, a loving place, a place where people truly cared for each other. Would you share the secret?

Don't answer too quickly. It's easy to say, Yes! After all, only a heartless soul would not want a better, loving world. Right? But truth resides more in actions than words.

What if...this secret would forever change your own life and you would never again know what would happen next. Would you share the secret?

Perhaps you're reconsidering. Some live in luxury, some in poverty. Regardless, humans often find comfort in living a routine life with few surprises.

What if...this sharing could result in you being ignored, rejected, humiliated, put down, lied about, even hated. Would you share the secret?

Maybe you are hesitating now? Most do. Hesitation is a natural response. Throwing off the natural self and embracing a truly Spirit-led life is difficult. Now for the scary part.

There are no "What ifs". (Go ahead. You know you want to.) Why? Because such a secret does exist and deep down in your soul, you know it. What?

Jesus did not just tell us to live a certain way. He showed us how! From praying to sharing, leading to following, drawing in to reaching out. And a radical element of this was how He treated others.

Every word flowed from a deep love that expressed

itself in action. What? Helping, sharing, healing, guiding. Why? Because that is encouragement, building people up into who He called them to be. What? Children of God, people of compassion.

Jesus lived His life as an example for us to follow. Why? To encourage others when they are alone, sad, hurting, afraid, confused, lost. Why? Because each person is important to Him.

God wants no one to remain as shambles, but to be built up and strengthened into examples of Jesus as a light in this world. And He has given us the secret of how to accomplish this. What?

Encourage one another as long as it is called Today! Hebrews 3:13

Encouragement is an act of love, a blessing to both giver and receiver. Reach out to those around you. Stand with them. Comfort them. Love them. We can change lives...in the Church and the world.

May all your Why's and What's

turn into...How's.

Take care & be God's,

Chuck

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