My current home is an apartment building with a great view and great neighbors. Out of the eight units that make up the two halves of the building, only three of them have children living in them. The kids who live here range in ages from roughly three to twelve – and they are all great kids.
As I sat down to do some writing tonight, there was a lot of noise in the little parking lot which I can see from my balcony. It was “happy noise,” and I just had to see what was going on out there! As I opened the sliding glass doors and walked outside, I observed a pick-up game of baseball. One of the dads was pitching, and the kids were encouraging one other with “come on, you can do it – try again,” and “way to go, T–, great hit,” and “awesome hit, J–, I knew you could do it!” I stood there, arms resting on the wooden railing, lingering longer than I had intended as I talked with their moms while the kids rounded their makeshift bases. Though I was only a spectator, I was smiling, and I had been reminded of a great truth.
Friends encourage friends.
Dictionary.com defines “encourage” with the following three meanings:
1. to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence;
2. to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc.;
3. to promote, advance, or foster.
Following the loss of my job, my family and my friends have encouraged me as never before! As seen through the definitions above, they have 1. inspired me by their courage and confidence and have therefore given me greater courage and confidence; 2. stimulated me with their loving assistance on so many different levels; and 3. promoted me to advance and to do new things in better ways.
However, these verses from the book of Proverbs say it best, and remind me of the type of friend I long to be in return.
10:21a – “The words of the godly encourage many….”
17:17 – “A friend is always loyal….”
18:24 – “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Yup. That’s what friends do.
Friends use their words to encourage others. They are loyal. They build up rather than tear down. And they sharpen the hearts of their friends – motivated by sincere concern, a desire for godliness, and a heart of love.
With family and friends like that, it’s certain to be a winning team!
So . . . is anyone else having a sudden craving for peanuts and Cracker Jacks?
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Thanks for taking time to read “Backyard Baseball Buddies!” Please feel free to leave a comment or question.
Dear Brenda,
This one really touched me. Love it that the entire team was rooting for each other to do well…just like we should be doing as adults. I think there are times when our selfish little selves like to see others fail. Obviously, this should never be the case. You go, girl! Love your “Petals from the Basket” and the great insights that you bring to us. Keep up those wonderful postings.
Love you and your posts, too,
Jayne
Jayne, I appreciate your many notes of encouragement and kindness. Thank you, my friend, for taking time to read the post and leave a comment.
Great article, Brenda. I so often need encouragement and feel like I could use a lot more than I get. But then I need to remember that others need encouragement just as much as I do. Perhaps if I seek to be an encouragement, they’ll pass that encouragement onto others. I decided to comment on this article and encourage you today. But your article encourages me, so the experience is mutual. Thanks!
Thank you, Adam, for encouraging me by taking time to leave a comment. Your publishing success story and continued forward momentum has been exciting to watch! So – – – thanks, from one of your greatest cheerleaders!