“It is amazing how often the very ones who are supposed to encourage us to move forward are the ones who hold us back.”

A thought Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Kindle Locations 1760-1761). Kindle Edition.

There is a person who is one of my heroes. After she had gone to college, she decided to leave her home town of Denver, Colorado and to move to Los Angeles to live her dream to be an actress. Her parents went with her as far as Phoenix and then she went the rest of the way by herself.

She lived with a friend in one of the toughest parts of LA and each day she would head out into the city to a movie or TV studio to work. She also found a very good church that met on Sunday night in a night club in downtown LA. She would drive there by herself at night. That is also where she met a young guy from Las Vegas who was in seminary. By the way she married that guy who happens to be my son.

Now that is a story of someone who had people who encouraged her, who didn’t hold her back but that is not true of so many people. If her parents would have discouraged her from living her dream and moving to LA by herself there would be no Ashlyn and no Addison who are two of three very exceptionally talented granddaughters who make a Papa very proud.

I remember when I was moving my family of four to Las Vegas, Nevada to plant a new church. There were some who were close to us who did all they could to discourage us. They said, “No way would I raise my kids in an evil city like Las Vegas” but we did and my two kids have turned out as exceptional adults who love the Lord.

I also know of people who listened to those discouraging voices and who have lived way below their potential. They’ve lived lives of safety and security, lives of disappointment and mediocrity. I’m so glad that I had a dad and a mom who dared to step out in their lives and who encouraged me to do the same. I hope that my kids and grandkids will say the same thing about me.

So are you an encourager or a discourager?

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