St. Peter Lutheran Church
Walburg, Texas
Office: (512) 863-5600
Worship Services - each Sunday 10:15 a.m.
Holy Communion - 1st & 3rd Sundays
Encouragement for the Way
I write to you this month as I sit outside my camper in beautiful Kaibab National Forest just outside of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. For the past week and a half, my family has been camping and visiting many of the natural wonders that God has masterfully created across the Southwest. We have been blessed by driving and hiking through some marvelous landscapes and have truly enjoyed all the National Parks and Forests that we’ve visited have to offer.
As a Thrivent Financial member, I have a nice selection of “Live Generously” t-shirts and I intentionally decided to wear one everyday of our trip. The shirt features the Thrivent heart and cross along with their message of encouragement for living as generous and faithful stewards of all that God has given us. I figured it would be a subtle way of sharing this encouragement with others and I thank Thrivent for all the t-shirts to make that possible. From time to time, my wife and sons joined me in wearing their “Live Generously” shirts as well.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect wearing the same message t-shirt everywhere I went. But I was a bit surprised with some of the responses I got. When hiking the often busy trails in National Parks, I frequently was complemented by the people passing us going the other direction. “Love the t-shirt,” “That’s a great shirt,” and other similar affirmations were offered to me or my family members too many times to count.
But there was one response that I will never forget. We were on the downhill stretch of a grueling 5-mile hike in Yosemite. Even though we were dead tired, we decided to “double-time it” down the trail to finish strong and keep our momentum going, too! We passed by a family on their way up that saw the “Live Generously” t-shirts and stopped and turned to cheer us on down the trail! They clapped and cheered and called out with shouts and whoops: “Live generously! Living for the Kingdom! That’s what it’s all about! Way to go!” I shot my fists up in the air in appreciation of their encouragement as we kept on trucking down the mountain.
What struck me is that I had intended to wear the shirt as encouragement for others and I never expected to be the recipient of encouragement. I can’t tell you just how blessed I was by that encouragement and couldn’t help but think of how often we overlook this important ministry of encouragement. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 reminds us to “encourage one another and build each other up.” In Hebrews 10:24 we receive this exhortation: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
Friends, I believe we need this encouragement to live on mission every day. So I want to take a moment to encourage you on your journey of following Jesus. And remember to encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ as well. You never know how God might work in mighty ways through your ministry of encouragement.
Pastor Bryce Formwalt is the Director of Mission Growth for the LCMC Texas District. Residing in Georgetown, Pastor Bryce is available to coach congregations on mission. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments: 512-942-7776 or bryce@lcmctexas.org. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lcmctexas
© 2017 Bryce J. Formwalt, All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.
July 2017
