My favorite two
attributes in all the world are
Humbleness
and
Encouragement;
in that order.
And I like to
think that I, (at least attempt to) emulate both traits in the context of my
own life.
When I served as
an adjunct professor at Southeastern University, my alma mater, I would walk
past a wonderful statue on a daily basis.
“Jesus Washing
Peter’s Feet”
And speaking of
the former traits, I have seldom been exposed to anything which characterized
each of them more than this metallic rendering of our Lord and his best known
disciple.
But to narrow my
literary meanderings to one of these attributes, I love the verse in the Book
of Hebrews.
“But day by day,
and as long as today shall last continue to encourage
one another.” (3:13)
Encouragement
Note the root
word ‘Courage.’
Thus, we have in
this four syllable word, ‘Encouragement’ the notion of instilling courage, by
word or deed, in ourselves or another person.
And God knows
that in this day and time how important it is to rise above those dark
circumstances, and sometimes emotional shadows which accompany our journey on
earth.
Pt. 2
I have been
reading, “Forever Liesl” by the late Charmian Carr. Charmian, as the title
implies, portrayed the real life Liesl von Trapp in the movie, “The Sound of
Music.” (Sadly, in the past year, and at the comparatively young age of 73, she
died from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease).
It seems as the
mid-20th century gave way to its sixth decade that Twentieth Century
Fox found itself on the brink of bankruptcy. And it was no large secret among
the actors and crew of this illustrious film that the future of the production
company depended upon its success.
Charmian relates
one especially poignant episode during her tenure in the making of the movie.
I went with my
boyfriend Mickey to see the stage version of The Sound of Music. After the final curtain, I walked out of the
theater completely depressed. I thought it was awful! The story seemed sugary
and contrived, and even my favorite musical numbers seemed static on that
stage. Maybe it was because I was exhausted from work and travel, but seeing
the play convinced me that all my hard work had been for naught. Our film was
going to be a dismal flop.
I wasn’t the only
one feeling low and Bob Wise sensed the need to lift everyone’s spirits. In
secret, during our first weeks back in Los Angeles he had William Reynolds put
together the montage of “Do-Re-Mi” as a surprise for all of us.
One afternoon he
assembled the cast and crew in the screening room and without any fanfare
rolled the film.
What an impact
those eleven minutes of the film had on us! We sat in the dark, totally
enthralled by “Do-Re-Mi.” It was marvelous. Beautiful. Everyone, even cynical
Christopher Plummer, was overwhelmed. And proud! This was the boost we all
needed to finish the work at hand. And as we walked out of the screening room,
we all knew we were involved in something that was going to be extraordinary.
It was
spectacular.
Pt. 3
The thoughtful,
purposeful action of one person and the eleven minutes of video footage he
assembled turned it all around for three adults, (for Charmian was 21 playing
16) six children, and untold members of the production crew. Who can say how
desperately this seemingly small, creative act instilled courage in the hearts
and souls of many who had, by this time, surrendered that attribute?
I can tell you
when I read the foregoing passage in Charmian’s little volume, tears came to my
eyes, and her account spoke life to my own soul.
For you see, I am
an Encourager; with a capital ‘E.’
I think I place
that particular attribute on a pedestal for two reasons.
As a pastoral
counselor I know the value of encouragement. Over the past two and a half
decades, and among thousands of clients, I have attempted to instill courage in
multiplied hundreds of hopeless individuals whose courage was nigh on to being
lost.
And
As a human being
I have oft times found myself bereft of encouragement during seasons of lack,
limitations and loss. Either people lacked the wherewithal to come along side
and offer a ray of hope, and perhaps a word of admonishment, or they were
simply too busy living out their own lives to expend the time and effort.
Speaking of
admonishment, God’s word admonishes us with the poignant challenge to the
status quo:
“These things
ought not to be.”
Pt. 4
At the time I was
the same age as Charmian when she portrayed ‘Liesl’ in “The Sound of Music.” At
21 I was married, the father of a young son, and a member of the United States
Air Force.
My wife and I
attended a relatively large church in Tampa during my tenure as a personnel
clerk at MacDill Air Force Base. We had taken advantage of several nightly
revival meetings, and as the final service concluded Pastor Matheny invited the
congregation to ‘q up’ and say our ‘farewells’ to the visiting evangelist.
While I have long
since forgotten the name of the itinerant preacher, I will never forget one
especially peculiar trait which he displayed on a recurring basis. For you see,
at times he would get ‘so wound up’ that it seemed he needed to release his
emotional mainspring. And thus, after this admonition or that bit of spiritual
insight he’d kick out his right leg like he was punting a football, and shout,
‘Hallelujah.’
Be that as it
may, as I finally neared the somewhat quirky evangelist, and reached out to
shake his hand, he looked me in the eyes, and offered me what was perhaps the
two most singular words in all of my life.
“Stay Encouraged!”
Though almost
half a century has come and gone since that evening, and though this dear man
may have, by now, passed from the earth, I have never forgotten his words, and
they have buoyed me up, and afforded me courage when I might have, otherwise,
simply given up.
And I think there
is no more fitting manner in which to conclude what I have begun, nor anything
more crucial I could offer than to pass that proverbial baton on to you; the
one I received when I shook the preacher’s hand.
“Stay Encouraged!”
by William McDonald, PhD. Copyright pending
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