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A Word of Encouragement
Hello again everybody. First off, I want to apologize for missing last week’s column. After a long trip to Albuquerque for my brother Gabe’s graduation, I was exhausted. I must have only got about 10 hours of sleep the whole weekend. Then I had to drive 14 hours on Monday and work all night Monday when I got home, so you get the point. When Tuesday finally rolled around, all I wanted to do was sleep. Besides the rough trip though, it was a great trip. Gabe looked all smart in his graduation gown. We took a picture together and I told him, “Smile cuz this is the only time you’ll ever look smarter than me.” Just messing Gabe. That’s my lil’ bro, I gotsta pick on him. All in all it was a good weekend except for the long drive and no sleep part. Next time I’m flying.
This week I wanted to just send out a word of encouragement to all our readers. I know that life tends to get hard and sometimes we just need someone to encourage us. I’ve been there so many times in my life. I’ll get to a point where I feel like I’m not making a difference or it seems like I’m just here, and then out of the blue someone will say something to uplift me. Whatever you are going through right now, SMILE, and remember that Jesus loves you and He has a plan for your life.
Jeremiah 29:11, “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I look back at my life and think about many times when I was down and out, ready to quit, ready to throw in the towel, and then someone came along and said something to stir up my spirit. One time when I was in college, I was walking back from the parking lot to my dorm room and I was really feeling down. I don’t exactly remember what was going on in my life at that time, but I do know that it seemed like everything was weighing in on me. I had finals to study for and papers and projects to do, and all the other stresses that school seems to put upon you. I passed a couple of guys on the sidewalk to the dorm and one of them said to me, “Smile, Jesus loves you.” Sometimes that’s all it takes. I didn’t know that guy and I’m sure he had no idea what I was going through, but just those simple words transformed my day. I got back to my dorm room, stopped all I was doing and just thanked God for another day to be alive.
There are times though, when it seems that no one else around even cares about you. Sometimes I have to encourage myself. I keep a few things in my room, on my desk that remind me to stay encouraged. On my wall I have a Michael Jordan poster that says:
“ I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career, I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.”
On my desk I keep a gift I got from one of my close friends. It’s a wooden pen with the words “Trust in the Lord” engraved in it. He gave it to me when I moved from Raton to Houston. I keep it in its case and never plan to actually write with it, but it serves as a reminder to trust my writing to God.
There’s also a note I keep on my desk from a girl I never met. It’s just a few words written on a piece of paper with a scripture at the bottom. That little piece of paper means so much to me. In college, we were required to go to chapel twice a week, Wednesdays and Fridays, starting at 10:45 a.m. This is where I started cultivating that heart for worship. My first couple of semesters I had classes right after chapel at 12:30 p.m. so I would always be rushing to go to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat before I went to class. I learned not to take the 12:30 class in the future, but instead of heading off to lunch with all my friends right after chapel was over, I would stay after and worship God a little longer. The musicians usually kept playing a while after chapel was over, so I would take a little time out of my busy day to pray.
It was getting towards the end of my senior year and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. A lot of my friends had plans or jobs set up already and I was lost and confused. I remember getting on my knees one day after chapel and really searching after God. As I was praying, I felt someone’s hand slip a piece of paper in my hand. I looked up and just saw the back of her as she walked out the back chapel door, so I went back to praying. After I was through praying, I sat up in my chair and read these words:
“Stay encouraged!
Everything will be alright!
God loves you and He
cares so very much for
you. You are precious
in Jesus’ sight – the
Apple of His eye. He
will NEVER leave you
nor forsake you.
- Deuteronomy 31:8
God Bless You”
I keep that piece of paper on my desk, not framed, just there, folded in half underneath that pen my friend bought me. Whenever I really get down on myself, I unfold it and read those words, and I’m reminded that God loves me. He will NEVER leave me or forsake me. And he loves you too. He will NEVER leave you or forsake you. You are precious in His sight, the Apple of His eye. You have a loving Savior with outstretched arms waiting for you to cry out to Him in the midst of whatever it is you may be going through.
I just felt it in my heart this week just to send out an encouraging word. God has great plans for each and every one of you. Stay strong and continue to fight the good fight. As one of my favorite comedians likes to say, “You Can Do It.” I pray that these words minister to you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. God Bless and until we meet again.
w/muchluv,
geno
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