15 September 2021
The words drifted down to my ears from three rows away. The voice was soothing but firm.
“You are not a dummy; you just need to be shown.” stated Carol.
Then not long after, on another call, the response was, “Don’t talk to yourself like that! You can do it. I will guide you.”
Again, words of comfort to the receiver on the other end of the phone call.
It made me reflect – who are you a cheer squad for? Do you stand on the sidelines and just watch, or do you do what you can do even if it is just words of encouragement?
The scripture Isaiah 40:28-29 speaks of God, our God as our coach, our intimate friend who is there for us always.
Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.
Isaiah 40:28-29
Maybe you are a person who has Christian maturity and is in a coach position. Guiding, helping, encouraging those who need guidance to reach higher levels of excellence in whatever area of their life.
Maybe you are a cheerleader who does the group dance and cheers loud with exuberance (with Pom poms!) to give courage to those in the fight of life, in the works before them.
Maybe you are a sponsor of someone else who is doing the hard yards, giving them sustenance and financial ability to be a voice, to act in the world for the benefit of humankind.
No matter who you are, know our God is in our cheer squad! He’s the captain. He’s the coach and sponsor also.
God has no limits. Never makes wrong choices. Never is faint and weary and never has no time for us.
He’s always there for us!
He is always there to support us, to cheer us on. Actually, way more than that – He alone makes a way for us!
He constantly sends us help. He fights the fights for us. He sends us resolve to persevere, to push for excellence.
He sends the Holy Spirit to help us fight temptation. He never gives up on us. He never condemns.
He alone is our bulwark – a defensive wall – He defends us! He stands up for us. Totally in love with us!
So be the voice in other people’s lives that cheer them on. Be the hand that holds theirs in times of need. Maybe be the light that shines in this darkened hopeless world.
Be the “Carol” in someone else’s life.
May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’
Love
Rosemary
Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you have someone in your life who encourages you?
Is God an initimate friend for you? Do you sense the Holy Spirit in your life guiding you?
Who can you be a cheer squad for?
6 Comments
Susan A Cutshall
I was deeply touched by your writing. A reminder of my constant cheerleader. GOD, we are all called to cheer on, listen and extend kindness and compassion. Our actions do speak louder but words are everlasting…like God’s love.
Thank you!
Sharon Zimmermann
I find your messages thought provoking and thank you for reaching out to me. I found Bruce during lent last year and attend daily Mass at St Peter and Paul’s church in Ireland since then as well. Both of these actions are so unlike me but I truly look forward to them each day. My day starts with coffee, connect to Mass on my iPad, then tune into Bruce for my daily devotionals. I am surprised by this behaviour in me and in fact bewildered. Obviously the Holy Spirit is looking after me and I have had prayers and petitions answered. Sorry, but feel I’m not explaining myself very well. At any rate, keep me in your prayers and on your mailing list.
God Bless.
Sharon Zimmermann.
Rae
Thank you for your inspiring thought. I feel I do not have anyone encouraging me, but do have family members that need encouragement, so maybe I can be if help only through prayer for them. May be someone in heaven is helping me do this, as I do no I cannot do it on my own.
Your thoughts are truly encouraging to give the faith I need.
Rae Dodd
Thank you for your inspiring thought. I feel I do not have anyone encouraging me, but do have family members that need encouragement, so maybe I can be if help only through prayer for them. May be someone in heaven is helping me do this, as I do no I cannot do it on my own.
Your thoughts are truly encouraging to give the faith I need.
Valerie Simms
Thank you Rosemary for this timely message of yours! Recently I’ve been thinking again what contribution can I make in society? The Church? In my family? Towards my brothers and sisters in Christ? Towards those who are in need? My immediate response was I am
virtually not able to do very much at all. Just a nobody. That night I picked up an Italian booklet to read, that I hadn’t read in a long time,
entitled (in English) Benedict XVI 5 Minutes With God.I opened the booklet at page 58, the subtitle being The Importance of Being Active.
The scripture passage I read there was from Luke 10: 38- 40 and John 12:1 -2. Both passages mentioned Martha. Then i read a little passage written by Pope Benedict concerning the role that Marta had in Jesus’ life. It took me by surprise as I always focused on her sister Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet listening to His Word. Benedict goes on to explain that Martha took care of Jesus’ human needs,who
would have been hungry and thirsty, who would have been tired from His travels, who needed time to rest and retreat a little from the crowds that were in Jerusalem. Then Benedict finishes this passage by stating, like her even we need to make the effort to serve Christ in the people we meet.
This got me thinking, but the next page I read convinced me that the Lord in His own surprising way was speaking to my heart. The page was 45 subtitled, Jesus Close To Women, the scripture passage being Luke 8:1 – 3. Here i read while Jesus went to towns and villages proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of Go.There with Him were the twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Maria of Magdala where seven demons had come out of her, Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod,s administrator,
Susanna and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
Pope Benedict then goes on to explain the important role women have for the human race, in the family, in the ecclesiastical community, in social assistance and in other camps of civil life. We take note of Jesus’ respect towards women and the challenges this makes in changing our attitudes, our mentality towards women until women are given and are treated with full dignity in every nation.Being recognised also for their never to be substituted mission as mothers and first educators of children.
Now if these weren’t enough messages for me to take heed of, then came Bruce’s message in the Daily Devotional: in what way and to who could we give encouragement that day. To who could we bake a meal, a neighbour, write a card, pick up the phone and call and support and encourage??? Who in our family needs encouragement and support??? That we could serve, help in some way???
And just tonight out of all the blogs , videos and Jottings from your Journals I chose this one Rosemary!!!! Is God trying to tell me something that I am being deaf about ??? Tonight I did something out of the blue that surprised my husband and later when I had time to think about it surprised me! I encouraged him in a way that neither he or I expected! It made me wonder if this came about through the work of the Holy Spirit Rosemary!
God bless you abundantly Rosemary, and Bruce!!! And thank you once again for this very special message I read tonight!
Kathy
The Holy Spirit is my encourager. Through His Word in scripture and the words of fellow Christians like yourself , either online or in person, my charismatic prayer group, my fellow parishioners and my family(out of the mouths of babes) God is always encouraging me. Through the beauty of nature snd the wonderful examples of people who are kind, generous and selfless, God continues to inspire snd encourage me.
Thank You God. You are the fortress and rock in whom I trust.
Every person God puts in my path for a reason. Everybody can do with a little encouragement.