How to Encourage with Inspiring Stories

The Cocoon

A man found the cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress.

It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly.

He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened!

In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. And we could never fly. So have a nice day...and struggle a little!

Author Unknown

To learn how to express encouragement to your family and friends when they go through life’s struggles sign in at http://www.howtoencourage.com/

***********************************************************************************

BEAUTY TIPS (Encouragement for true beauty)
by Audrey Hepburn

For lovely eyes,
Seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure,
Share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair,
Let a child run his fingers through it once a day.
For poise,
Walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored,
renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed.
Never throw out anybody. Remember: if you ever need a helping hand,
you’ll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands.
One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

***********************************************************************************

YOU CAN DO IT
“Thirteen-year-old Jennifer was the proverbial square peg in a round hole. Fellow students teased her unmercifully, yet she decided to turn out for track. Marcy, the coach, felt drawn to the lonely girl from the start. She longed for Jennifer to do her best. Every day at practice she drilled into her, "You have the makings of a winner. You can do it." Jennifer practiced hard.

On the day of the track meet no one paid much attention when Jennifer was up to run the mile. Then someone pointed across the field. Legs working like well-oiled pistons, Jennifer surged ahead of the others -- and won! Other successes followed until Jennifer went on to the state competition and did well.

Those few little words, "You can do it," had created a winner.
Dear Lord,
help me never to be
so busy I fail to encourage,
especially those who
silently cry out for my help
and can do great things
if someone believes in them.”

"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25. What a wonderful picture of an encourager. What a magnificent promise for an encourager! If you encourage, you will be encouraged.

This week take a look around you and see people. It's safe to assume some will be discouraged and wrestling with problems. Maybe even you are struggling. Pray for perceptiveness and an awareness of those who need a special touch from you. Watch for opportunities to comfort and encourage. Ask for the courage and strength to share what you have with others. Maybe it's a note in the mail, a phone call or an email.

Why should you spend valuable time, energy and money to encourage others? The benefits are many. "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." Ralph Waldo Emerson

    
For more suggestions and tips see http://www.howtoencourage.com and http://howtoencourage.blogspot.com