Encouraging the encourager

“Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.” - 1 John 3:18 

Raise your hand if you know who Beth Moore is, read one of her books or participated in one of her Bible studies. Now, keep that hand up if you were fortunate enough to attend her simulcast this weekend.
   I had the honor to help our church be one of the host locations from around the world. I left in the wee hours of the morning before my kiddos were awake, left a ‘honey-do’ list for my honey and drove into our smoke-filled valley praying for a successful day for everyone involved.

   By now, you are probably thinking I am going to give you a run-down of how inspiring the whole conference was and spending the day with 150,000 sisters around the world was life changing…which it was…but I am not. No, actually today is all about the incredible man that the Lord chose for me years ago, my husband.
   He is always quick to encourage me to spend time with friends and attend Bible studies that I may be interested in. He was very excited for the chance for me to attend this conference. He is willing to take on any household duties and has no qualms about staying with our three children for extended lengths of time.
   So, as I was getting my worship on right after lunch, imagine my surprise when this wonderful man tapped me on the shoulder! I ran out behind him to the van, scared to death of what I would find. All he kept saying was that he needed help with a situation. I discovered that our youngest child had lost the front of both of her earrings into her lobes. BOTH of them! I was able to push one of them out in the parking lot, but the other was pretty bad.
   We decided to take the whole operation into the bathroom furthest away from the worshipping happening in the sanctuary and then decide if we would need to visit the emergency room or not. My brave little girl sat there like a trooper and within five minutes, I was able to resolve the issue with her second ear. She felt immediate relief even though her father and I were very shaken up.
   I finally had my wits about me to ask why he didn’t just call me and his answer will stay with me for the rest of my life. He didn’t want me to have to leave. He recognized the importance for me to participate and made sure I stayed to listen to the rest of the message.
   During my prayer time at the end of day, I found myself thanking God for the mighty man that he placed in my life but also praying that every other sister in that room and around the world had an encourager in her life, too.
   Whether it be a mother, sister, friend or husband…if you have that gift, please, take the time to thank whoever it is. To be able to fully focus on the Lord and his Word is one of the most precious gifts you can give to those around you, if you are able to BE that person, do it. Your reward will far outweigh any sacrifice that is involved. Be encouraged today—better yet, be an encourager!
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Alycia Holston lives in Helena, MT with her husband and three children. Her heart has always been in women's ministry and has spent the last ten years loving and supporting her fellow mothers. Now she's reaching out through her writing. As an author, Alycia combined her love of children, geography and God's amazing creation as she wrote 'While The Giant Is Sleeping' - the story of the Sleeping Giant of Helena who slumbers while the world continues to grow and change around him. To learn more about Alycia check out her website -  www.calmcreations.com.