Nell MohneySeveral years ago, a friend sent me a documented story of an incident that happened during the Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa. A man was convicted of a very unusual crime. He was found guilty of being a discourager.
The South African town of Ladysmith was under attack. A traitor moved up and down the lines of soldiers defending the city. He pointed out the enemy's strength, the difficulty of defending against them and the inevitable capture of the city. He didn't use a gun in his attack. His weapon of choice was discouragement.
It's another confirmation of what I have always believed -- discouragement takes heart out of a person and encouragement puts heart in. Think of the people who have motivated you to do your best. They were your encouragers. They often saw more potential in you than you saw in yourself.
Eight years ago, I was speaking at a women's conference on the West Coast and was suddenly filled with uncharacteristic fear. As I walked toward the podium, I began to say silently these words, "Lord, I can't. You can. Please do! Thanks."
As I stood before the microphone, the image of a church youth counselor came to mind. I could mentally hear the words she used to encourage me as I practiced for a speech: "You can do it, Nell, you can do it!" Suddenly I felt calm and confident. The power of encouragement.
Or think of 1940 when France fell to Hitler's Germany, and the prospect of successful resistance looked bleak. The Soviets stepped back and the U.S. wasn't ready to go to war. Experts predicted that England would fall within weeks.
But experts hadn't taken the measure of a 65-year-old politician who had just been elected England's prime minister. The citizens hadn't become aware of Winston Churchill's ability to breathe hope into a dispirited nation. That year became a pivotal point in modern history. England -- perhaps the whole Western world -- owes its existence to Winston Churchill. That was indeed the ultimate power of encouragement.
Contact Nell Mohney at nellwmohney@comcast.net.