Encouragement

Encouragement-Believe it or not, I am not some kind of "superChristian"!  I
wish I was but I am not even sure that there is such a person. I am just a
very ordinary person living, for now, with extraordinary circumstances. Just
to get through each day, and hold on to my sanity, I am doing everything I
can to keep myself encouraged.

Probably the main thing that I look to for encouragement is the Bible, or
Word of God. Times that I am feeling totally discouraged and at my wits'
end, I turn to the Bible to help me to get me out of my doldrums. Times that
I am sitting up and using my computer, it is easy for me to look up and read
scriptures on encouragement, comfort, hope, etc. It is not quite so easy
when I am resting in bed and can't use my computer. However, by now, I know
the Bible well enough that I am able to quote encouraging scriptures to
myself. When I have the sense to do it.

Another source of encouragement for me is the Holy Spirit. Because I have no
choice but to be still, it maybe is easier for me to hear His voice than
those who are always rushing around, doing something, Quite often, the Holy
Spirit has an encouraging word for me. Actually, having the Holy Spirit
speak to me at anytime is encouraging. Even if it is a rebuke. I find it
encouraging just to know that He won't allow me to get "off course".

Church is also a source of encouragement for me. It is a totally different
atmosphere than Long-term Care. It is encouraging for me to simply be in a
place where the focus is on God. I believe that a pastor, at least a good
one, speaks on what the Holy Spirit tells him to speak on. So, when the
pastor speaks, I know it is God speaking to the congregation. If something
he says really jumps out at me, I know that God is speaking to me through
the pastor.

Considering that I never wanted to write these blogs, I am actually finding
that writing them is quite an encouragement to me. Most times, what I write
down, hopefully, for the benefit of the readers is also the Holy Spirit
speaking to me.

Another way that I get encouragement is through friends. Particularly those with the same beliefs as me. We can freely discuss God and His ways. It always is an encouragement to me to be able to actually talk about God and not just to hear about Him. Of course, it helps a lot if the friends can use my speech board well.

I also get encouragement from my music. Especially when I am resting in bed. I enjoy listening to the lyrics and, quite often, I hear a sentence or phrase that is very encouraging. When I am listening to instrumental music, Christian or, at times, classical, I often find myself either praising in English or in tongues along to the tune.

Ultimately, though, any encouragement I get is up to me myself. Yes, the Bible encourages me but I have to read it. I have no control when the Holy Spirit speaks to me but it is up to me to keep myself in a position that I can easily hear from Him. Yes, I get a lot of encouragement at church but I have to attend. Yes, friends encourage me but, for the most part, I need to spend time with people who believe like I do. And, yes, I draw a lot of encouragement from my music but it is up to me to play music that will help to keep me encouraged.