I think it was my 5th miscarriage. To tell you the truth, I’ve had so many I can’t remember which one it was…
It had been a very long day. My body felt as if it had been through the war, probably because it had, and I just wanted to escape the cold and antiseptic, unkind smell of the hospital. My husband went to retrieve the car while the nurse was finishing filling out the discharge papers when yet another unfamiliar person in scrubs pulled back the curtain and entered my room.
I don’t remember her face or the sound of her voice. I don’t know if she was a doctor, nurse, or a member of the janitorial staff. However, I do know this: She was an encourager and God sent her.
I was sitting in a wheelchair. She bent down to face me at eye level and said, “You’ve been here before and you’ve made it. You’ll make it again. You’re going to be alright.”
I needed that reminder, because I couldn’t fathom what I was going do next. I honestly didn’t know how I was going to wake up the next morning and manage to function normally. But she reminded me that I had done it before, and I could do it again.
At that moment, it was as if Jesus Himself let me know He was right there with me. He carried me before and He would carry me again. I would wake up the next day, and I wouldn’t do it alone. His mercy would be new just like it had always been before.
Many of us are facing difficult situations that cause us to need a “mystery person” to walk through the door. We need encouragement. However, there is a danger zone to this. We are so desperately in need of encouragement that we forget to encourage.
You will never regret looking past your own pain to speak life to someone who needs it. (Tweet that.)
The mystery person, who walked into my hospital room, on that very dark day, will always live in my mind as one of my greatest encouragers. I will never know her name but she marked me with her kind words. And we ALL have an opportunity to do the same.
Sometimes, being the giver of encouragement feeds our weary souls more so than if we had been the receiver. (Tweet that.)
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be so wrapped up in my own world that I can’t encourage someone who needs my voice. I want Christ to use me. I want to be available for Him to work through me.
We all have problems. Every single one of us is battling something. Do not allow your voice to be silenced by your pain. Speak up to encourage someone else. There is a beautiful soul out there who needs to hear your words, to see your smile, and to witness your kind heart.
Are you allowing your voice to be silenced? When was the last time you reached beyond your own pain to encourage someone else? I want to hear your story!
Love,
Jennifer
Today, I’m linking up with Holley Gerth for the Coffee for your Heart Encouragement challenge!
Hi Jennifer! I linked up right behind you, and it is interesting how our posts dovetail on encouragement. It’s so true. We need to reach beyond our own pain to encourage others. So desperately needed! Thanks so much for sharing your story about the “mystery person”. You are right, the voice of Jesus Himself! Blessings!
Thank you for reading, Anne! Have a wonderful day!
Beautiful, Jennifer. So grateful for the beautiful soul Jesus sent to be an encourager to you. Thank you for this reminder… “Do not allow your voice to be silenced by your pain. Speak up to encourage someone else. There is a beautiful soul out there who needs to hear your words, to see your smile, and to witness your kind heart.”
Blessings to you.
Thank you, Beth!
What great encouragement to reach out to others….we all need that encouragement sometimes and we should all be looking for ways to give it. Thank you for the encouragement to keep doing so.
Thank you, Joy.
Wow.. what a beautiful reminder of the power of encouragement, the power of our voices. I was encouraged by your words today. Thank you!!
I’m so glad the post encouraged you, Jenn! Have a wonderful day and thanks so very much for reading! God bless you!
Hi Jennifer. Using our voice to encourage another person in need, despite our pain, does lift the Spirit. I can so relate to your story. My recent loss has been so very difficult and sometimes all I want to do is stay under my covers. But God has other plans.
Through your Go Give campaign a few months back, I befriended an elderly neighbor. I didn’t know at the time that her husband was sick. It takes so little to make her happy. Some flowers, a few goodies and meals, it seems like not very much to me, and I didn’t realize how much it meant to her. During our last visit, she grabbed my hand and tearfully told me that when her husband got sick, she prayed that God would send her an angel. God used her words to show His love for me. It reminds me that despite the pain I am in, God can use it for good.
Veronica, I am so thankful you are moving forward in the direction God has for you! You are so right, He does have other plans!
Your words about the GO GIVE campaign have encouraged me so much! I am going to share them on the facebook page. I just know they will encourage others!
Have a great day! God bless you!
Jennifer,
Thank you for this reminder and call for us to look beyond ourselves and give encouragement. It is better to give then to receive. 🙂
Thanks for reading, Chavos!
Oh, Jennifer, your words were a balm for my battered soul today! My daughter has been exhibiting trichotillomania behaviors for some time now (brought on by medication side effects, we believe) and we thought they had ceased. No, unfortunately they had not. She’s 10 almost 11 and such a beautiful girl, inside and out, but this hair pulling/scalp picking is breaking my heart. We’re looking for a new therapist to help her and us. May I be bold and ask for prayer that we find the right therapist for her/us? I know we need to rest in God for the answers, but I am feeling so beaten down this afternoon about this. Many thanks,
Kristin
Kristin, I am praying for your daughter as well as wisdom for you! I know that God will do a beautiful work inside all of your hearts throughout this season. Sometimes, it takes time to recognize His fingerprints but they are ever present even if we can’t see them right away. God bless you as you serve your daughter through this difficult time. I will be praying!
Love your sweet girl graphic 🙂 Oh that we could see our suffering as an invitation to join God in a higher place! Love your heart and your hope. Found you at Holley’s and it’s so nice to meet you!!
Thank you, Lisa! It is wonderful to meet you as well!
That really touched me. Thank you for sharing a painful time in your life. It would be so cool if your mystery person read this post! 🙂
Yes, it would! Thank you for reading, Sarah!
I needed to hear this word. God has been taking me through some things lately …some heartbreaking overwhelming things. For me when life gets messy, complicated and I can’t seem to see my way through I close in and completely shut out everything and everyone. I always reasoned that I needed time to fix me and I didn’t really need others, and more specifically people didn’t need me. God said to me “How do you overcome?” I said “…by His blood and the word of my testimony” and even though I’m still in one of the most challenging seasons of my life God is calling me to share and be open in a radical way. I know that God will take me through and while He is I can be a blessing to someone. I don’t have to wait until I’m out of the storm to testify of his goodness and grace …I can do that in the midst of the turbulent waters. No more silence, it’s time to step out in boldness, go against my natural inclination, forget myself and help someone else through their darkest period …
Thank you so much, God bless you, You’re amazing!! 🙂
Adrianna, thank you so much for reading and for your kind words. I just said a prayer for you and am so happy that you recognize God can use you right now exactly where you are. Have a wonderful day, bold sister in Christ!