The Circle of Encouragement

"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you
also are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NASB)

In 1490 two struggling artists, Albrecht Durer and his brother Albert,
agreed that one would work full-time to support them while the other
studied. So Albrecht studied while Albert worked, with the
understanding that when Albrecht became successful, he'd return the
favor. After attaining enormous success Albrecht went back to honor
their agreement, only to discover the terrible price his brother
Albert had paid. By engaging in hard manual labor, his fingers had
become stiff and twisted and he could no longer paint. But instead of
becoming jealous and bitter, Albert encouraged Albrecht and prayed for
his continued success. In fact, one day while Albert was praying,
Albrecht quietly sketched his brother's gnarled, misshapen hands.
Today his masterpiece, "The Praying Hands," tell a story of love,
sacrifice, and the power of encouragement! (Visit
http://www.harvestnet.org/basics/prayinghands-64.gif to see this
familiar picture).

Paul's letter to the church at Thessalonica reminded them to encourage
each other and build each other up. Think of the people who've
cheered you on as you struggled to reach life's milestones: the
teacher who encouraged you to believe in yourself; the coach who
pushed you to your limit to get you over the finish line; the boss who
gave you the extra responsibility that led you to your promotion; the
parents and grandparents who were there every step of the way; the
entire chorus of encouragers who sustained you on your journey. Go
ahead, drop them a note, send them an e-mail, surprise them with
flowers. But don't stop there: show your appreciation by doing the
same for those around you.