Encouragement

This morning I had the opportunity to speak to the Institute students. The men of this years class are preparing to graduate and be launched into ministry.

As they move onto the next step, we were challenging them one final time, painting a picture of what a true man of God looks like in today's world. I spoke on the component of encouragement. It has three basic forms: spoken, written, and what I call "just being there."

Sometimes the physical presence of an encourager is enough to change someones world.

That was our yellow lab. For a few moments, he did change our world.

Our family dog Trip just didn't wake up this morning. He had been sick recently and we all knew he was wrestling to stay alive.

I have fond memories of him bouncing through the back of the Klife gym as he ran up to the front to jump into my arms. That summer at kamp, we literally grew him up from a puppy to a rather large 6 month old yellow lab with huge paws and muscular shoulders.

As I walked home at the end of every kamp day into the yard or our house, he was always there to greet me. He was always happy. He was always glad to be a part of our family. He was always just there.

He was the ultimate encourager. I am going to miss him a ton, and so will our family. It's amazing how attached we can get to our pets.

But we do have great memories. My personal favorite is that every time I hugged Beth, he would give a big playful bark just to remind me not to neglect him. He would bark until we acknowledge him and granted a few head pats.

I am going to miss Trip. But you know what? I am still thankful I can hug my wife. She is my true encourager.