Strength, Hope, and Encouragement

I meet a lot of wonderful people in my therapeutic water exercise class. They are such an encouragement and inspiration to me every day.

Margaret has serious heart problems and is on oxygen. She arrives in a wheel chair and enters the pool very slowly. Tubing runs from her oxygen tank to more than the width of the pool.

The first time I met her she had not walked across the width of the pool. As we talked she started walking with me toward the other side of the pool. I’m not sure she was aware of what was happening. When we got to the other side her face lit up with a beautiful smile of accomplishment.

I asked her if she wanted to return to the other side. “Only if you go with me, honey,” she burst out with laughter.

She has continued walking forward and back across the pool each day. She gets tired and moves slowly, sometimes stopping, but she is doing it with an attitude of happy commitment and the support and encouragement of all her new friends.

There are times when we need someone to help lessen our burdens; someone to walk beside us to cheer us on and give us hope and encouragement.

Help comes when we turn to God and trust Him to give us the strength we need for the day, peace and rest.

Scripture Thought: Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)