Are You An Encourager?

"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing" (I Thess. 5:11).  "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear" (Eph. 4:29).

Hey Gang:  One of the great joys, in my years as exulted ruler of Eagle Village, was the many opportunities I had to speak and share the Good News of what God was doing - not only in the lives of the children but also in the provisions that He provided.  I often look at the pictures from those very early days and believe with all my heart that the greatest miracle of all was the willingness of people to give from the heart to that young whipper-snapper to make a miracle come true.

I learned very early, in my tenure as a public speaker, that the first sentence out of my mouth was very important; it determined whether I would gain the attention of those I was speaking to or they would become clock watchers.   I do not recall much of what I said in those early formative days, before there were stories of success to share, and I am sure I bombed many times in holding the interest of the listeners

And then I ran into an old salt, who had been down the speaking trails for many years; het gave me a piece of advice that changed me from spouter of facts to a sharer of words from the heart.  He introduced me to the world of the endorphins.  You all know what an endorphin is, don't you?  In very simple terms it is a story that makes the adrenalin flow in your brain. 

In essence I began to tell stories obout people.  Some I knew personally, and some I collected their stories along the way.    In the next week or two I would like to share with you some of those very special people;  people that made an impact on my life directly or indirectly, people that have the unique ability to reach out to folks who needed a shirt tail to hang onto. I pray these people will make an impact on your life as well.

I find it interesting to note - I found that when we were in the up mode we were closer to the Lord than when we were in the down mode.  When we received the call to sell our house, quit our jobs and do as Abraham did - pack it and move! We did not have a clue what lay ahead at the end of the trip.  In our tenure as developers of the Village we had no less than a hundred people come to our door seeking advice in how to do the very thing that God did through us.  But, it seemed they only saw what God had done in the years prior to their coming and were not willing to pay the price to go through the wildernesses and deserts to get there.

Now for a truth:  In the very early years of development of the Village it was tough, even very tough.  We were raising money to build the buildings; we were in a constant growth mode with four programs in the development stage; and we were constantly up grading  staff training.  There were no luxuries, like days off or quitting at five and relaxing on the patio.  Children do not dysfunction within the frame work of eight to five on week days.

Soooo, what is point I am making here.   At each pitfall, when the alligators were about to have lunch, God sent someone across our path to take us by the hand and lead us to higher ground.   When asked what was the key to our early success, my response was "my six grandma's who placed a prayer- covering over me each and every day.

Blessings, 

Gramps