Encouragement is not something that comes easy for me.  Some people I know are natural encouragers…they always know what to say and are always thinking about how to lift others up.  I am much more literal and practical with almost everything I approach.  God is nudging me to always think about others and consider what they are going through.

This past weekend I went to a marathon with my husband  He was running so I parked myself halfway to be there to take a picture of him.  I was there an hour early watching all the runners go through.  A marathon is 26.2 miles…that’s a long way.  As I stood there…I cheered them on.  Some of them were tired and you  could tell they wanted to stop and give up…I would say “Keep it up…you can do this.”  You could see their eyes brighten and their whole bodies straighten up.   It was like water to a thirsty plant.  The thing about encouragement is it has nothing to do with you.  It always thinks about the other person.  I want to be an encouraging friend, mom, wife and child of God.  The challenge for me will be with my 2 little girls.  Instead of telling them what they need to do better, I want to start telling them about what they do right.

-Tracy Leek