STAY ENCOURAGED

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-20^th 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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