Who speaks in to your life and gives you the courage to the point where you will dare to do something difficult?  Encourage is truly an active word.  We must work to encourage one another - this goes beyond speaking.  It extends in to giving active help to one.

 Or perhaps what I’m trying to get at is who is it that heartens you?  Who is that can speak truth and pick you up and hold you up to God so He can renew your spirit?  You see, we all need these people in our lives.  We need someone to come along side us and lift us up to God.  We need someone to come along side us and put us in a place where we are able to remain in God.  

Once we are heartened, we can then move to the next step, and that is inspiration.  Inspiration is the step where we can be infused with confidence, resolution, and enthusiasm.  How many of us have missed this?  The english language, although it has few words for different ranges of emotion, can still segregate out meanings in different words.  We so often miss the Inspiration step.  We gain inspiration from God, from His creation, and also from each other.

For a long time I had the blessing of a group of men who were able to encourage, hearten, and inspire me.  This was crucial in my development as a young follower of Christ as well as in my transition from boyhood to manhood.  However, I no longer have this group of men around me.  Who is it now that encourages, heartens, and inspires me?  I don’t know.  I find small glimpses of those who are able to encourage me.  You know who you are, and I thank you.  Where I am at right now, I feel I need more than you can give right now, and that is alright.  God will show up and His will shall carry on, and carry me.  I know for myself, I shall be spending a few days alone, in the Wild of God’s creation as soon as I am able.

Back to the first question.  Who is that that encourages, heartens, and inspires you?