The late Truitt Cathy was known for asking “How do you know if a person needs encouragement?” His answer? “If they’re breathing!”
Well, if you’re reading this, I’m counting on the fact that you are still breathing. (If not, please call 911 ASAP.) Like most of us, you are probably thirsty for some encouragement.
Allergy season must have started early this year. Or maybe that’s not the real reason behind all of the red-eyed parents that I’ve seen recently. Yes, the red eyes are the symptom of a changing season...just a season of life, not the weather.
It’s a season of transition for many parents - the time when children are leaving for college.
This message was initially posted in August, 2013. Re-posting because it's that season again!
Allergy season must have started early this year. Or maybe that’s not the real reason behind all of the red-eyed parents that I’ve seen recently. Yes, the red eyes are the symptom of a changing season...just a season of life, not the weather.
It’s a season of transition for many parents - the time when children are leaving for college.
Have you ever heard of macular degeneration? It’s the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. To understand it’s impact, try holding a clenched fist up in front of your eye. You have peripheral vision, but can’t see straight ahead. That means you can’t see faces, read, drive, or participate in sports you once loved…like golf.
It’s miraculous, really. The way that seeds travel and eventually sprout. Some seeds (like the unwanted dandelion) have wings like a glider. Some are carried by birds. Some “hitch” a ride on animal fur. Some are carried by water. Countless ways for one little seed to be carried to a new destination and germinate, and perhaps to eventually bear much fruit.
Ready to throw in the towel on your dream? Voices telling you that you aren’t good enough, that you’re a loser, that you don’t have what it takes to pull it off? Perhaps my story will help encourage those of you suffering from “dream fatigue.”
It started like just another day. A beautiful, sparking September day. Moms and dads kissed their families goodbye and headed off to the daily “rat race.” The tyranny of the urgent pressed in. Deadlines loomed. Quotas pressured. Legal issues threatened. Personnel problems bubbled. Flights to important meetings summoned. The stuff of life. The stuff that so often occupies our thoughts and our time and pushes out the “big rocks,” the truly important things in life.
Allergy season must have started early this year. Or maybe that’s not the real reason behind all of the red-eyed parents that I’ve seen recently. Yes, the red eyes are the symptom of a changing season...just a season of life, not the weather.
It’s a season of transition for many parents - the time when children are leaving for college.
Question: What kind of difference can one person’s encouragement make?
Answer: Immense. The ripple effect can literally impact thousands of lives.
Recently, I’ve been asking the question: “Who encouraged you? And how did they do it?” The answers are inspiring, and are a great reminder of the positive influence we can have on others’ lives. I’ll be sharing these stories in a series of posts entitled “Profiles in Encouragement.” My hope is that you will be inspired and challenged to accept the high calling of being “an encourager.”
This week has provided us all with a jarring reminder of the fragility of life. What began as a day of celebration and athletic accomplishment ended in horror as another cowardly act of terrorism pierced our bubble and destroyed lives. We’re reminded once again that we are all vulnerable.