Today's Devotional Thought
November 14, 2012 by Rachel Piferi
Encourage Each Other
I am writing this devotion this morning from a coffee shop. It is a busy morning and a lot of people are just mulling about. The shop is decorated for Christmas and the smell of peppermint mochas and spiced lattes fills the air.
The sound of laughter and talking also fills the air and I am just captivated as I watch the people around me. I absolutely love to people watch. I am sure I romanticize the stories of those around me, but I love to imagine the stories and relationships of the strangers around me.
To my left, there is a table with two young professional women who are lost in conversation. They appear as if they have taken a couple of minutes out of a busy day to meet and they are just laughing and talking about all sorts of things. The joy of their friendship is apparent as I watched them hug upon meeting and then immediately get lost in their conversation and lattes. As I watch them burst into laughter one minute and then draw close to share something serious the next, I smile. It is a sweet sight as I imagine them cherishing this time together apart from the responsibilities of work and home.
In front of me is a table where three generations of women sit. At this small table, are a young mom with her mother and a sweet curly haired three year old girl who is full of smiles at this trip to the coffee shop. The young woman and her mother are lost in conversation as the sweet little girl with them is ferociously devouring a doughnut. The sugary, sticky doughnut is as big as her face and with obvious joy and a wrinkled nose, this precious little girl tries with all her might to fit the enormous doughnut in her mouth. I notice that they don't stay long (you can only keep a three year old entertained with a doughnut for so long). And as they start to leave, I can't help but smile as I watch this precious meeting of three generations over doughnuts and coffee.
As I sit here now, I am just looking around and wondering what the stories of those around me are. What are they dealing with right now? What are they excited about in life right now? What are their dreams, their fears, their passions?
Today, as I reflect on the lives sitting all around me and watch the relationships around me, I am reminded of how God intended us to live in community. To laugh together, eat together, and share our lives together. The good, the bad, the ups, the downs. All of it. Together with each other on this journey of life. Encouraging each other to run this race with perseverance...all the way to eternity.
If you are discouraged today, may I suggest that you call a friend and just ask them to talk. If you know someone who is discouraged, invite them to get a cup of coffee and just remind them that they are not alone on this journey of life. They have you and they have a loving God who walks with them through every life circumstance.
Life is hard. And God has given us each other to encourage, uplift, advise, and guide each other on this journey.
Don't do life alone.
December