It’s a Beautiful Thing…

We all know someone who could use a little encouragement. Maybe, God wants to use you to express His heart to someone today.

Maybe they're walking through something difficult. Maybe they're facing a new season of life. Maybe they're carrying a burden that no one else can see. Or maybe they simply need to be reminded that they are loved, remembered and not walking through life alone.

Sometimes, a few heartfelt words can make a difference far beyond what we realize.

I've experienced this personally. There have been seasons in my own life when I needed encouragement more than I could put into words. During my journeys through cancer, there were days when the uncertainty, pain, fear and exhaustion could feel overwhelming. I was single and lived alone and one night lying in bed I couldn’t sleep. As I was awaiting surgery, fear began to overwhelm me of what I was facing over the next few months which was 4 surgeries in the next 5 months. I begged God to heal me but instead an overwhelming peace washed over me and I knew He would never leave me. What followed in the coming days, weeks and months, and always at just the right moment, a card would arrive! Words of hope, love, faith and encouragement. The heart of God expressed through someone, letting me know they were thinking of me and praying. Those words couldn't change my circumstances—but they reminded me that I wasn't facing those circumstances alone. More importantly, they reminded me that God had not forgotten me. And you know what? I KEPT those cards! They were gifts of love to me!

God often works through people. He can use a simple phone call, a handwritten note, a prayer, a hug—or even a greeting card—to remind someone of His love and faithfulness. We may never know exactly what someone is carrying when our words reach them.

That's why encouragement matters.

A greeting card may seem like a small thing, but when the message is filled with truth, hope and love, it can become something much more. A card can say, "I'm thinking about you." It can say, "I'm praying for you." It can say, "You are loved."

And sometimes, those simple words are exactly what someone needs to hear at that very moment! Your words can be an answer to prayer.

Scripture reminds us:
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:11

What if the encouragement someone needs today is waiting on the other side of a message from you? Maybe God has already brought someone to your mind while you were reading this. Don't dismiss that thought, often it is God wanting to use you to express His truth, hope and love to someone!

Reach out.
Send the card.
Write the note.
Make the call.
Say the words.
Pray the prayer.

You may never know just how much that little act of encouragement means. Because sometimes, God uses our words to bring a little light into someone else's difficult day.

And sometimes just a little encouragement can go a very long way.

Because the Message Matters

~ Marsha Sites-McKeegan