The power of encouragement…
And so encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 GNT
There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend. Katherine Butler Hathaway
And for my stouthearted friend…
A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Some years ago, I was eager to take my new friend on a winter hike where chickadees could be handfed with a stunning backdrop of Lake Tahoe from a ridge high above the lake. At that time, I had only been to the area a couple of times before and didn’t realize that, even in winter, there were some easy paths available. Instead, we headed along the edge of large snowy meadow while I looked for good potential snowshoe or ski tracks that went upward. In case you are picturing a sunny bright perfect day with many people out and about, the truth is that we were probably the only ones out there due to a storm which was just finishing up after several days of heavy snow. The temperature was very cold, and the wind chill made it bitterly frigid. To say that it was a snowshoe excursion with extreme winter weather conditions is a vast understatement.
As we trekked up the ridge, it became clear to me that I had gone further south than I had been intending to go, which meant that we would be ascending a much steeper part of the forested ridge. What a tough climb up in our cumbersome snowshoes, particularly for my friend who had only moved to Reno the previous summer and wasn’t accustomed to the elevation far less snowshoes. The entire adventure was way out of her comfort zone and experience.
All along, though, I encouraged her to continue onward, with promises of a beautiful lake view ahead and birds eating from our mittened gloves. I reminded her that the weather prediction called for the clouds to dissipate and the sun to come out by the time that we would summit. The last part was extremely difficult, even for me, and she was ready to turn back, but we were literally just a few hundred feet from the top of the ridge. If we could just get to the top of the ridge, we would have beautiful views, and it would be easier walking. I prompted her to take her time, reminding her that we could rest as much as needed. I repeated to her again that we were almost there, and told her over and over that I believed that she could make it to the top.
We often need encouragement in life as well as on our spiritual journey. Sometimes we struggle mightily not to let the darkness of the world hinder our spiritual growth. The world can be a tough place, and it’s tempting to just give up and follow our own selfish desires of self pity or self indulgence. Yet, as Paul reminds us, we are to persevere and encourage each other to stay on the path towards holiness, becoming more like Jesus despite the challenges in the world. Each challenge we encounter gives us the option of growing closer to Christ and becoming more like him in our relationships with others. Each of us has the ability to encourage each other and to allow ourselves to be encouraged. Our reward is seeing God’s power work in us to make us more like Him, to be the character of love in this world. We grow!
As for the crazy winter snowshoe trek, my friend DID make it to the top of the ridge. We crested the side of the mountain to encounter raging winds with snow crystals stinging our faces. As we headed toward the main viewing area, I humorously ran a commentary on what she could have been seeing if there had not been sideways snow with thick clouds covering much of the sky and lake. When we got to the main area, it was still extremely cold and the birds were all tucked away in the snow-covered trees out of the bone chilling wind. Even with the promise of food, they weren’t crazy enough to be out in the open! We took a few photos as the sun tried to peek out, but it wasn’t long before the cold snow stung our hands and faces, so that we headed back down the sheltered side of the mountain towards the meadow and car.
It’s ironic that the sun DID finally come out and the sky cleared about the time that we got back to the car. Perhaps even more curious is that she would still go on hikes and adventures with me after that! In fact, the whole crazy adventure cemented our friendship and is something that we still talk about years later. She’s an amazing strong woman, but it was the encouragement that tipped the scales past the tough circumstances. Encouragement is a powerful tool indeed…