It's the title of Sister Jean Schmidt's book about her life as a nun and teacher, centering on her time as chaplain to the Loyola basketball team and their trip to the Final Four in 2018. She writes in the book that she has spent her life encouraging young people to follow their dreams.
What a life goal that is for anybody to pursue - to simply encourage others who are running alongside us to Glory awaiting us at the end of the race. Even those (maybe especially those!) who don't believe in Heaven as their ultimate goal need the day by day encouragement that we can perhaps supply.
Funny then, that the motivational picture message for today in the front of my journal was that of a smile painted on a rock. Years ago God inspired a story I wrote in which the word "smile" was an acronym for "Simply Make It a Little Easier." Somehow it all fit together perfectly as an instruction for the day: Wake up with the purpose of making life a little easier for somebody today by encouraging them along their way.
I love that! Looking at the day ahead I pondered the possibilities for encouragement that might exist. I was having breakfast with friends... was the meeting more, perhaps, than just the chance to eat and enjoy each other's company? Maybe one of them needed a word to cheer them on... or the waitress could use a generous tip? Was my plan to stop at the yarn store just to say hi to my needlework friends... or was there something more I could do beyond that door? Was there a small business I could support somehow as I traveled through my day and town? I found that in looking for ways to put a smile on others' faces I had less reason of my own to frown!
We've each been given another day; let's use it well.
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might..."
(Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV)
(picture credit: Unsplash/Collin Sheffield)
