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Encouragement needed
On June the 5th, 1910 American author O. Henry passed away at the age of 48. He had lost both of his parents at an early age, so he couldn’t even get proper education. He had lived on many odd jobs as shop keeper to factory worker. While working at a bank in Texas, he was accused of embezzlement. He left his wife and fled to South America. Hearing that his wife was dying from tuberculosis, he had returned to the United States but he was arrested and spent 3 years behind bars. During this time, he had acquired the skill to be a novelist. Hearing from other inmates, his imagination was excited with stories, and after he was released, he started to write those stories down on paper.
About 300 years ago, a customs office worker lost his job. After returning home depressed, he told his wife Sophia about what has happened. But her response was surprising. “Well, now you can write the novel!” When the man said about their living, she said “I knew you would be able to write a great novel. So I had saved up the money you had given me. This would support us for a year.” The husband then entered his room and started to write. The author we speak of is Nathaniel Hawthorne. His most famous novel is the “Scarlett Letter”
Both of the authors had used a dangerous situation which in turn had become in their favor. There was one thing that was different in releasing their potentials. Both of them had endless encouragements from their wives. To have a fulfilled life, one must try hard for themselves, but also requires encouragements from their surroundings.
In the Book of Acts 18:24, Apollos of Alexandria came to Ephesus to preach the gospel. In the view of Priscilla and Aquila, he was a great and passionate speaker, but lacked in knowledge. After training him with the proper gospel, and discipline him, making him the champion of spreading the gospel, he was sent out to Corinth. The couple had encouraged his strength, rather than pointing out his weakness, and was able to release his full potentials.
We all have someone who had encourages us endlessly, and thankfully.
We hope to encourage those other workers in God to bring their potential out, whether it being another reverend, or a laymen, being a great mentor to anyone and everyone to improve. Last year a survey was done to youths around Canada, and most of them had replied: “I would love to meet someone who encourages and believes in me.” When resurrected Jesus saw Peter, instead of seeing him as a failure, he saw his potential and had he “feed my sheep.”
Who is the one that would encourage us today?
(June 20th, 2002)
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Unforgettable Names 
Encouragement needed