Several years

ago in a small midwestern town, crowds lined both sides of the street

one afternoon. All eyes strained in the same direction. Finally, in the

distance, they saw a tiny speck moving slowly but steadily down the highway.

After a moment,

the people could make out the shape of a person propelling his wheelchair.

Everyone was clapping and cheering as the smiling marathoner reached the

edge of town.

This courageous

person was travelling from one end of the country to the other. Later,

someone asked, "What keeps you going? Why do you push yourself day

after day? How do you do it?"

He replied,

"Don't you hear it? All of those people cheering and clapping. That's

what does it. All of those people believe in me. And then I believe I

can make it!"

That's the

positive power of encouragement! One of the most important ways we can

bring out the best in people is to give encouragement.

It's easy to

find fault. In fact, the latest survey revealed that 100 percent of the

population has some imperfection we could criticize if we chose to. In

fact, it's much easier to criticize than to encourage, to "instill

courage" in people. But it's much better to build up than to tear

down.

Let's be builders

of people. Let's encourage one another through unconditional acceptance .

Norman Wright wrote, "Acceptance means showing love even when a spouse

isn't returning it, even when a child turns his or her back on our teaching."

It also means

not fitting your child or spouse into your preconceived mold. How many

fathers have been observed trying to live out their unfulfilled sports

dreams through their little league sons? Too often we're like the grandmother

who was bragging on her grandchildren. Asked how old they are, she responded,

"The doctor is two and the lawyer is four."

Let's encourage

one another through expressing appreciation. Everyone likes to

feel appreciated. Feeling appreciated gives a sense of significance. Psychologist

William James said possibly the deepest need is the need to feel appreciated.

Mark Twain once said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment."

Verbal compliments, words of appreciation, are powerful communicators

of love and powerful motivators towards action.

Let's encourage

one another through practicing kind words. Sometimes we treat coworkers

and neighbors with more kindness than family. Love is patient and kind

and recognizes that none of us is perfect. Love tries to encourage by

being kind to one another and using kind words that have a pleasant tone.

Sometimes simple words of kindness go a long way.

Let's encourage

one another through exercising forgiveness. Our human nature is

to hold a grudge. When we do that, we come to today with yesterday still

hanging over us. How many todays have we messed up with yesterday's stuff

that we're still hanging onto?

The best way

to deal with failures of the past is to let them be history. There comes

a point in which we must forgive and move on. There's nothing like saying,

"I'm giving you another chance." When was the last time you

said, "I forgive you."

Let's encourage

one another by giving time to one another. Nobody has enough time, but

we realize that we don't "get time." We "make time"

for people who are important to us. Giving time is a powerful encourager.

When you give

someone 20 minutes of undivided attention, you're giving 20 minutes of

life. We'll never have those 20 minutes again. That's an investment in

another person, and is a powerful opportunity for encouragment.

A few years

ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically

or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard-dash.

At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a desire

to run the race. All, that is, except for one little boy who stumbled

on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The

other eight heard the boy, slowed down, and looked back. Then they all

turned around and went