Week 18: Encouragement - What you and I need.

'There is no better exercise for strengthening the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. Think about it; most of your best friends are those who encourage you. You don't have many strong relationships with people who put you down. You avoid these people and seek out those who believe in you and lift you up.' - John C. Maxwell.

When I first said to some people that I 'highly' trusted that I want to write a book someday, most of the respond was, 'You're still young', 'None of your friends done that before... maybe...', 'Just be an average person', 'be a normal person', my mom even said, 'Crazy' and some smile with no responded and zero interest. My dream became shallow, seems like it is impossible because after all what they said was 'blended' with truth such as I'm still young, really none of our close friends ever wrote a book (as far as I know now), and been an average person seems so relevant in this world especially when you're a village boy like me. It's true but why does it discourage me?

When I was almost give up, feeling down and no enthusiasm to achieve my dream, I met up with my close friends whom I also trusted too. Three of us sitting at the open-air restaurant and up dated one another. The conversation was getting to warm up until one of us, (I can't remember who) started to ask this question: What is your dream?

The first person said, "A millionaire" That was kind of self-centered dream I said to myself. But he continued, "I want to further the Kingdom of God by helping missionaries, full time workers and others". This man helping others even before became a millionaire; he's already a millionaire in his mind.

The other person said, "I want to become a praise and worship leader. Going all around the world and proclaiming the Gospel of Peace and the Grace of the Lord through songs and prayers." 'How big it is?", the other person asked. "All around the world, you tell me." Indeed, this man until today is faithfully serving in the church with songs of praise and worship. Anyway you want to place him either back up, lead singer or standing in the crowd; he's faithfully serving the Lord and others.

'How about you?', they asked. "I want to write a book.’ I said. 'Well, tell us what the title is? What kind of book? Have you started it already?... ", they eagerly asked. What they do was this:

• Instead of telling me the impossible, they tell me that I can do it.

• Instead of telling me that I am still young, they said learned and gain more experience you'll success. 

• Instead of deliver me the sinister smile, they genuinely smile and we cheers together for our dream.

• Instead of discourage me with tons of the 'what I'm not', they injected me with the seed of encouragements.

Encouragement can 'water' up people's dream. Encouragement from strangers can lift you up but not for long until it faded away, but encouragement from a friend and the trusted one- lasted forever! Be a person who encourage other to achieve their dreams no matter how crazy or stupid it may sound; because once people have the right dream to benefits other and glorified God added with positive encouragements from the people that they trusted are able to 'move the mountains'.

Be encouraged and encourage others. Don't ever give up on your dreams and share it with the people that you trust. Along the way you may failed and be fail by someone, but don't give up. May you find friends whom you trust and believe in your dreams and always give you the seeds of ENCOURAGEMENTS.

(I dedicate this note to Albert R. Macewell, future millionaire and Souisa Ding, the singer that God loves very much. May your dreams Glorify Jesus Christ. I can't recall very clear what we said to one another that night, but please gives me a message if I wrote it wrongly.)