The Gift Of Encouragement

[annew]

Thanks to all here who have offered such love and care and grace.....

ENCOURAGEMENT

One of the most beautiful gifts in the world is the gift of encouragement. When someone encourages you, that person helps you over a threshold you might otherwise never have crossed on your own. There are times of great uncertainty in every life. Left alone at such a time, you feel dishevelment and confusion like gravity. When a friend comes with words of encouragement, a light and lightness visit you and you begin to find the stairs and the door out of the dark. The sense of encouragement you feel from the friend is not simply her words or gestures; it is rather her whole presence enfolding you and helping you find the concealed door. The encouraging presence manages to understand you and put herself in your shoes. There is no judgment but words of relief and release. ~ John O'Donohue "Eternal Echoes" (Harper Collins 1999).

[MartyT]

♥

[Guest]

[kayc]

John O'Donohue, that's a name we've heard often quoted here by our Mary and some others. So true! How we all need encouragement, it's a precious gift.

[Dew's Girl]

Thank you for these words. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: "Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." Just as we may never know what someone else is struggling with, we can't always know how much an encouraging word can mean to another person. It's a gift that costs us nothing and can be invaluable to those who receive it.