Encouragement is an Essential Gift Every Day

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Encouragement is an Essential Gift Every Day

Rainbow


Encouragement is an essential gift every day. There may have been more than a few of you who’ve been thinking: “When is Heidi going to get practical with this nearly never-ending gift list?” Today, Tuesday July 7, is one of those days.

Encouragement is an essential gift every day. At home, and anywhere else we go. Encouragement isn’t always applause and a trophy. My favorite college professor once told me “Put down those knitting needles. They’re too much like pens. Keep writing. It’s important.”

At the time, it felt useful to be knitting baby gifts and afghans for nieces, nephews, and wedding gifts, so I didn’t act on his admonishment as promptly as might have been wise. Is this blog important? Possibly not.

When I was highly self-satisfied by the rough draft of my first novel, I sent off some pages as a contest entry to the only contest I could find that would accept entries for a manuscript that was that long. Two of the three judges for that genre gave the entry very low scores, but one chose to pass along a bit of encouragement: “When you learn point of view technique, this story will sing.”

I know what that is, now, and I still hope that story will one day sing.

When Paul started out on his first missionary journey, his companion was Barnabas, whose name meant “Son of Encouragement.” I wonder, whether on later trips, he wished Barnabas was still on his team.

Encouragement is an essential gift every day. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6).


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5 Comments

  1. Ruth DeMaat

    Reply

    Good perspective! We all need to have encouragement—and to give it! When you encourage someone, you bestow a little bit of yourself and help another to brighten the day. Keep writing, Heidi. I’m reading. 😊

    • Heidi Kortman

      Reply

      Thank you for your willingness to stop in and comment. Sometimes effectiveness is difficult to judge. I’ll keep going at least to the completion of this theme.

  3. Pingback: Give Thanks for Those Who've Encouraged Us | Heidi Dru Kortman

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