Word of Encouragement

As I have mentioned in other notes, I really appreciate those of you who are kind enough to encourage me, even as I send these weekly Notes of Encouragement your way—we are keeping each other going!

For example, somebody recently sent me a video that happens to be one of my favorites. It highlights the theme that “our words matter!”

I know you’re very busy, but if you have a couple of minutes, take a look at its profound message about why now, more than ever, our words play a key role in shaping our perspective. And in these times where Covid continues to dominate the news, perhaps a different perspective may be helpful!

Let me tell you about how this was driven home—or literally INTO my home—at 1 o’clock yesterday morning! I was rudely awakened by water gushing into the hallway outside my bedroom. Apparently, lightning had struck our roof and opened up a hole large enough for the torrential downpour reminiscent of Noah’s time to enter our home and attempt to create a swimming pool!

Like anyone, I was stressed out, rushing around trying to minimize the damage, but stuck as there was only so much I could do. After setting out every possible container in the house to catch the water that was pouring through my ceilings and using up every single towel we own for extra absorption, apparently God thought He might provide a little levity by having all of our smoke alarms sound off.

The fire department responded and used their thermal cameras to confirm there was no extra heat within our walls. Then they helped me take down some of our light fixtures so that the rainwater could flow more seamlessly into our containers. They were incredibly helpful.

But what really struck me was the fact that in light of this “Words Matter” theme, one fireman made me laugh when he said, “Well, I have some good news. There is no fire. I know the water makes it look like a mess. But you have a house to sleep in, and an extra bedroom that’s dry. You’ll get through the night, and you will get through this.”

I thanked him for his time and went back to cleaning up the house. As I was doing that, I couldn’t help but think of his words, “You will get through this.”

It got me to thinking about the pandemic we are all enduring. I’ve talked to enough people to know that, proverbially speaking, the rain is coming into their house. But, it’s not just the fireman that is telling me will get through this, it’s something that we’re also reminded about in at the opening of James 1: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

So, as we head into the weekend and have an election soon upon us, perhaps this is a divine reminder that even as the rains come and the lightning strikes and the pandemic endures—we will get through this.