Sometimes we call it a flash mob of writers and sometimes we call it a party, but it’s always family. This week we’re writing for five minutes on encouragement.
START
It’s in the words you say and the cards you write. Encouragement is a gift given through hugs or a knowing look, laughter or chatting over coffee.
It’s a huge part of my job, too. (in)courage is encouragement and I’ve learned to speak the (in)courage language fluently. I bet you don’t know half the time whether I’m writing the tweets or instagrams. I can talk about cupcakes and sprinkles (even though I don’t like them :]) for days.
But last week during the Five Minute Friday Party I got this crazy idea. Everyone loves snail mail, and wouldn’t you love to find something addressed to you that isn’t a bill? Speaking as a college student, getting mail is like finding out there’s something to eat in the caf besides grilled chicken.
A very happy day indeed.
Before over thinking it I sent a quick tweet out and offered to create a list where we could send each other snail mail each week.
It was rooted in encouragement and grew into many acts of love. Already, there have been tweets and instagrams of cards being written, and it’s encouraging to me to see other women encouraging each other.
When you encourage someone, you speak life back into the dead places in their heart.
These past few weeks, they haven’t been easy for me. I’ve been picked apart by people that should be there for me, not hurting me. Pleasing people is something I struggle with, something I put too high of an importance on, and sometimes I most want to please and appease the critic.
But this morning I received a letter in the mail from my best friend and tonight I was able to Skype her for an hour.
I needed encouragement to keep going, keep serving, keep doing what I’m doing for Him alone. And to be honest, I needed to know there was a safe place where I could ramble and wonder and question.
She poured truth and encouragement into a heart that had grown so weary.
I pulled back the curtain and let her “see behind the beautiful.” And I was reminded that true, Christ-honoring community, welcomes the mess and calls it a masterpiece because it’s a work-in-progress, a story all your own.
She wrote encouragement and said encouragement and I’m thankful for the reminder that light shines in the dark.
That crazy idea to write each other letters, I believe God gave that at just the right time. We don’t always have the opportunity to Skype or grab coffee with someone when they need a friend or a kind word — but we can always write those kind words.
And it’s sort of the best gift because it can be reopened time and again.
You are one person, yes. You have one voice and it may feel small. But you have a gift inside you and it’s called encouragement. And this gift? It’s meant to be shared.
Let’s raise our voices and rally together to form words that speak life and love to each other.
STOP
I wrote a completely different post and then began again. I pray you’ll find grace for my messy tonight, and that you’ll find encouragement in these words as well.
Your Story Is A Best-Seller // A behind-the-scenes look at (in)RL: Story. How I fell in love this summer with the power of story and then it became the theme of (in)RL.
Because You Were Made For More // Maybe it’s time we stop being cooped up and start opening up. I share my dream here and the passion that seeped out honestly scared me.
Would you like to join the #fmfpartysnailmail girls? The doors are open and there’s always room on the bench for one more. We write one letter a week to a different girl on the list. We write here each Friday for five minutes…and now we do it in real life, too. :) Click here for more information.
I’ve also linked up this week (for the first time – woohoo!) with Fellowship Fridays, Faith Filled Friday, and Essential Fridays.
