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The Encouragement You Need

After the flurry of activities to celebrate Valentine’s Day has settled down, we are gradually getting back to the routine of regular living. I am beginning to feel the humdrum of the daily routines weighing me down. I want to fly but life is happening in such a way that wants to stifle me and put me down to a routine. But this is not a routine year. So I need some encouragement to lift me up.

I am discovering that to achieve all the things that I want to achieve this year, I must make extra effort to ensure that each day contributes to the fulfillment of those lofty goals that I have. Otherwise, nothing will happen. Daily routines can kill dreams. Before you know it, an hour becomes a day. A day becomes a week, a week a month and several months and the year is over. I notice that the initial momentum I had is waning. Recently, my strength was depleted by an illness in the family. I focused on nursing my daughter back to health and lost the momentum that I had to pursue my dreams. That should not be an excuse. So, I am looking for encouragement. Anything to get me back on track.

In my research, I am discovering that the first speck of encouragement has to come from within me. If I am not rising up to encourage myself, no one will. Now, I understand what it means when scripture says that David encouraged himself in the Lord. I must find the threads of eagerness within me and put them together to form a rope to pull myself up. If I am waiting for others to do that, I will wait endlessly. People have their own issues to mind. I must not assume someone is waiting to provide the encouragement that I need. When I am encouraged, and I am in the way of recovery, then, I can meet like-minded people who will add their encouragement to mine, to propel me forward. Life can be so lonely sometimes. It is just me and God, as in the beginning!

I’m putting on my sneakers again, though not as eagerly as I did at first. The important thing is that I am putting them on, relentlessly. I will run the race. I will keep moving. I might start slow, but it doesn’t matter. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The important thing is to keep moving. I must be on the move, step after step, after step… crawling, walking, running, sprinting. Speeding. Always in motion. I cannot let a small thing wear me out. The year is still young, with so much potential, time must not pass me by.

We’re knocking down another month. It’s only a few days to the end of February. Then, it will be March, the last month of the first quarter. Wow! Let’s get kicking! This is the time to review goals again and see what you need to do on a daily basis to achieve them. Even if you have been distracted like me, don’t worry.  Just get back on track. Resume your race. Refocus and keep moving. It’s not over until it’s over. Get going!

The people who achieved before us did not have two heads. Neither did they have more than 24 hours in a day. What they had was tenacity. The ability to continue despite all odds. They never gave up in the face of challenges. And when others felt they could not achieve, they set their eyes and battled on regardless. That is how we should be. Yes, they had battle scars. It did not deter them. We must not let it deter us either. We must keep pushing, keep working, keep moving. Sometimes the results take time to show. It doesn’t matter. Keep at it. A farmer who sows a crop does not get immediate results. It takes time for the seed to die and to germinate and grow. It takes time to shoot up from the ground, to reach full maturity. It takes time to be ready for harvest. We must learn patience and not give up. In due season, we will reap our harvest.

It is important not to wait for encouragement from others. Pull yourself up and move on. Because encouragement from others might not come swiftly. Everyone has their own burdens to attend to. Recognize your need and attend to it from within yourself. Don’t delay. There’s a glorious future waiting for you. The cloud will clear later and you will see it. But before it does, retie your shoelaces, set your face and run! Run like David ran towards Goliath. Be assured the Lord is with you because He will never leave nor forsake you.

Be encouraged!

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