Tunnel Vision

We spent this Saturday….and virtually every Saturday in the fall, at various soccer fields around town. We have 3 children playing soccer right now and although they love to play, I’ve decided what they love more is the “tunnel” they get to run through when the game is over. Win or lose, the parents make two lines and form a tunnel with their arms for the players to run through. We cheer, call them out by name, yell “good game!” and the louder we yell, the faster they run.

I think there are a lot of adults, myself included, who could use some “tunnel” time or some tunnel people in their lives too. The kind of people who, no matter what, encourage us….they cheer for us and they call us out by name. And don’t you find that the more encouragement we get, the faster we can run, or the better or more happily we accomplish the tasks we are doing.

We should be deliberate encouragers. Hebrews 10:24-25 says: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, and let us encourage one another.” Do you have a spouse that could use some encouragement, a family member, a friend? A card, phone call or visit may be just what they need. You never know when your words may be just what someone longs to hear.

Paul perhaps said it best in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 when he said….“Encourage one another and build each other up.” Look for ways you can do this over the next few days. Speak encouragement to your family and friends.

I heard someone say once….adults are just little kids in a grown up body. If that’s the case, throw up your arms and let someone run through your tunnel of encouragement!

I’ll see you on the field.