Do you need encouragement?

It has been an interesting year as I work up the courage to be a writer.  This last week I went through a squall of self doubt, in which I asked God a kajillion times, Are you sure you want me to write?  Is this the direction you want me to go?  Could use some encouragement here. 

Then I went to a funeral Saturday, a really awesome one where the deceased pre-arranged to buy flowers for the guests to take home and requested a 50’s reception party with Elvis music, burgers, and root beer floats. 

It’s impossible to explain, but at the end of the funeral celebration some things were said and done that totally encouraged me to keep writing.  I could hardly keep from sobbing, not with grief for my friend but in being overwhelmed that God used her life to encourage me to live mine using the gifts God has given me. 

Then...

I sat down with my stacked-high burger at the reception, and an acquaintance from years past sat down across from me. 

She’s a writer.  I have one of her for-real published books sitting in my collection at home.   

Have you written any books lately? I asked.  And that got us started talking about writing.  Come to find out, she had needed some encouragement too and was deeply moved during the funeral service.   

We talked about how we so often feel like we have nothing to offer the world.  Like we’re losers and why try.  Satan’s lies.  What did God say to you during the service? she asked me.  We shared the encouragement God had spoken to us, and in saying it out loud to each other it became even more encouraging.

Then...

After the funeral, I returned a phone call to my aunt who lives far away, and at the end of the conversation she built me up with her words.  Told me how much she looks forward to my blog posts every day and how God uses my little words to encourage her heart. 

Then... 

I went to Bible study the next day, and someone spoke encouragement to me about another area of my life where I had being saying, Lord, are you sure you want me to do this?  Am I going the right direction?  Could use some encouragement here.  (You might notice a recurring theme of self doubt.) 

Are you in your own squall of discouragement?  Have you thought about asking God to encourage you?  I know He doesn’t always sweep us up out of our challenging pursuits and difficulties, but I’m convinced He really wants to encourage us in the middle of them.  Maybe you just need to ask, eh?  (Excuse the Canadianism.) 

“Ask and you will receive.”  (John 16:24)