Proverbs 25:11

 
 Solomon said, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Proverbs 25:11).   An encouraging word can bring victory out of the jaws of defeat.   Legion are those who, exhausted and defeated, have rebounded to great heights because of one little word of encouragement.  I was reminded of the power of encouragement this week when I came across this little story in the archives of my file system:
 
It was the day for field trials at the grade school.  Various of the young boys were competing with each other to excel in the various sports.  The event at hand was chinning or 'pull-ups.' The first boy strolled up to the bars and pulled himself up ten times, rather confident he would win.  His opponent, Kenneth, came with less certainty.  And when he had chinned the eighth time, he thought he was beaten.  Finally with much pain, he managed to slowly drag his chin above the bars for the ninth time.  And with a child's sense of tragedy, he thought he could not even tie the other boy. But from somewhere down in the depths of a child's courage, he pulled himself up one more time to tie his opponent.  As pain racked the entire upper half of his body, he lowered himself to quit.  Then a little girl's voice from the crowd, an admirer - perhaps his best girl - said with tearful eyes and urgent throbbing voice above the shouts of the other children, 'One more time, Kenneth!'  Her voice was like an electric shock across his face. From somewhere deep within his being there was a call as old as humanity.  Reserves of strength poured through his body.  And with the determined frown of a grown man he dragged himself up for the final and winning pull-up and then collapsed happily on the ground.
 
 Someone once said, "We live by encouragement, and we die without it - slowly, sadly, and angrily."   A simple word of encouragement may very well make the difference between defeat and victory, between failure and success.   Parents who constantly belittle their children, or preachers who habitually berate the congregation seem to have lost sight of the power of a word of encouragement now and then.  Perhaps it would do all of us a world of good to capture the sentiments of this poet:
 
 
Your Ear, A Smile, and A Happy Word
 
If you see somebody having a rough day,
If you see somebody struggling on the way,
If you see somebody with a broken heart,
If you see somebody whose world's come apart,
If you see somebody who's tossed to and fro,
If you see somebody whose back is bent low,
Give him your ear, a smile, and a happy word,
And bid him put his trust in the Blessed Lord.
 
If you see somebody who's fighting with sin,
If you see somebody despised by all men,
If you see somebody who has lost his way,
If you see somebody with too much to pay,
If you see somebody who's wandering about,
If you see somebody who's struggling with doubt,
Give him your ear, a smile, and a happy word,
And bid him put his trust in the Blessed Lord.
 
If you see somebody downtrodden and sad,
If you see somebody that the world counts mad',
If you see somebody confused and distraught,
If you see somebody who's suffering for naught,
If you see somebody whom life's left behind,
 
If you see somebody with a troubled mind,
Give him your ear, a smile, and a happy word,
And bid him put his trust in the Blessed Lord.
 
If you see somebody who's doing all right,
If you see somebody whose burden is light,
If you see somebody with no pain or care,
If you see somebody who's loved everywhere,
If you see somebody not troubled with sin,
If you see somebody who's loved by all men,
Give him your ear, a smile, and a happy word,
And bid him put his trust in the Blessed Lord.
 
                                                              H. L. Gradowith


by Tom Wacaster
 
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