Encouraging Words

Everyone needs encouragement; encouragement in faith, in life, and in the face of their obstacles.  Today, God saw that I was getting a little discouraged and saw fit to send me some encouragement through Owen's Olivia, a crafter's blog.  

On her blog, she posted my Halloween fabric design in a list of cute fabric designs for Halloween.  I have other fabric designs for Halloween at Spoonflower, but she picked this one as her favorite.  It made my heart happy, and was such a small thing for her but such a big thing for me.

This event made me really stop and think about how important it is to encourage other people - not just in their walk with God but in every good pursuit which they might be making.  The hardest part of the race is not the beginning, or even the middle.  

It's that last portion - when it seems like the race will never end and you'll never be able to finish.  That's when you need people to cheer you on the most, to remind  you of what's waiting on the other side of that finish line, and to tell you that you can do it.  It's also when you are most likely to quit because it seems too hard.  

I know this from experience. Many times in my life, I have quit trying only to find out later just how close I was to achieving what I wanted to achieve.

So, for those who need encouragement today, I say to you - Do not give up, do not lose faith, do not lose hope. The end is just around the corner, you are closer than you think.  

To those who are not struggling at the moment, take the time to encourage someone else today. Whether it's a complete stranger that you complement on their outfit, hair, or something else - do it. You may save a life. 

If it's someone you know, be the person who cheers them on in whatever struggles they face.  Above all, encourage one another. Be each other's cheering section.  The world is hard enough, and there are enough obstacles, without us becoming one more.