Encouragement...

What an amazing gift encouragement is! I have been encouraged in countless ways these last three weeks. ( Is that right? Only three weeks? It feels like an eternity.) Encouragement in friends just being there, in notes, in emails, in blogs, in gifts of food and flowers, in offers of trips, in prayer. How about that crazy encouragement from Laurie, herself. A week after she was gone, I loaned my granddaughter, Brooke, my old denim coat before we went out for breakfast for some grandma/granddaughers time. When we got back, Brooke pulled a yellow Post-It note out of the pocket and said ,"Hey, grandma, this is for you." It was a note La had written to me at least four years ago, when I was trying to quit smoking. It read "Keep it up, Mom". How about that? And you wonder how I could stand up there for seven hours by her casket and listen to those who wanted to encourage us? She was cheering me on.

And yesterday, I got to be the encourager. Little 5 year old grandson Denver has been trying to learn how to ride his bicycle without the training wheels. He and I went outside and I ran back and forth with him on the sidewalk, holding him up by his jacket as he pedaled. "That's it, Denver. Keep pedaling. Look up. Keep pedaling. You can do it. Look up. Don't be scared. You've got it." And then that magic moment...I let go and he pedaled away, all on his own! Yippee! This 56 year old grandma jumps up and down and cheers him on! What a moment of joy!

Laurie and I both shared two spiritual gifts: mercy and encouragement. I really love that. So my words for today...Look up, keep pedaling, you can do it, don't be scared, look up!