The Undervalued Encourager

The other day, I (B.) was in Walmart, and the elderly gentleman who was ringing up my groceries asked if he could make a personal observation. Confused, I nodded, and he proceeded to tell me that I had a lovely smile. He thanked me for sharing it with him. Now I always feel as though I am socially awkward and not outgoing enough, so that comment made my day. It got me thinking about how undervalued such small acts of kindness are. Not just the act of smiling at those who serve us, but also commenting on something that makes us happy.

Palo in our story is our most encouraging character. We often said throughout the writing of Auxland that without Palo, Khomar would have given up. It’s a bit like the Sam and Frodo relationship of Lord of the Rings. While Palo’s role may have been small, it was vital. Just think about the people in your own life who encourage you to keep going in the face of opposition. Where would you be without them?

These encouragers are often the most overlooked and undervalued in their roles. At least until they aren’t there. Then their absence is like a hole in our lives, and we wonder why we are so discouraged all the time. However, Hebrew 3:13 says: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” We are all called to encourage those God has placed in our lives. So don’t be afraid to tell someone what you appreciate about them or their work.

And don’t forget that encouragers need encouragement too.

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