My son found a letter this week that he was given when he was in middle school. It was a newspaper clipping with his picture from a baseball game in which he had hit two home runs in one game. The letter that accompanied the clipping was a letter of deep encouragement. It was given by an incredible sister in Christ, from our previous church.
Not only did "Hope" know that Kevin was having great struggles due to managing through the pains of a divorced family with some difficult issues, but Hope was just the best model of encouragement I knew. Hope had her own set of struggles physically and was in a wheel chair. But she looked past her limitations to become an incredible caring, nurturing woman of Christ. I was blessed to have her as a mentor as I started writing, and as a friend as I worked through the tough and hurtful issues as I sought healing for my family.
I didn't realize my son had kept the letter, but he showed it to me on the day that she died this past week. And he asked me to read the part that was so special to him: "Use all the gifts God gives you, Kevin. You are a very special boy. That big smile that you wear on your face sometimes hides the pain of your heart. But God hears your prayer. And he will answer you. Keep the faith. And I know that big smile gives way to your big heart." All these years he held onto that as a source of encouragement and hope.
"Hope" gave her life to God and to the ministry of encouraging others. My son was one example, but her ministry was far-reaching and God used her mightily in the life of so many. What a gift encouragement, established in God's love can be, both in the giving and receiving. Thank you, "Hope" for being such a strong example of becoming a vessel God can use in such a beautiful way.
Thanks be to God.
3 comments:
Jerry,
How wonderful for this special woman in your sons's life. What took Hope a few minutes to write, encouraged your sons for years. What a great example we should all follow — to build up one another, and to be a source of strength, light and truth. It all starts with setting aside the one thing that trips me up all the time, "It's not about me!"
If your son takes after his mother, he is certainly special indeed.
Blessings and prayers,
Kelli
Thank you sooooo much for sharing this, Jerry! Your post is a great encouragement for the gift of encouragement:)
Hi Jerry. Thanks so much for sharing this. I think many of us (even unsentimental me) keep written encouragement from others in a special place. It's nice to be able to re-read them when things aren't going quite as we planned, but most likely as God planned. Words have the power to lift us from sorrow, despair, and discouragement.
See you tomorrow.
Susie
P.S. Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging note. It's going in my special place to read again and again.
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