In today's broken world, there is an ongoing deficit of hope, and it would seem that the need for encouragement and a true sense of self-worth is one of the greatest threats facing the world. Typically, I would not have given much thought to the value of being encouraged by someone else and the liberating power that a kind word brings. This week, however, I have had somewhat of an epiphany in this area.

Many of my close friends have come to me with various heartaches and struggles that life has brought across their paths, some of which were so traumatic that I was left without any words to soothe them. No matter how frantically I searched for a positive word to give, or a bit of counsel to set them back on a more hopeful path, all I could possibly do was listen and try to empathize with their situation. Now, those who know me — I mean really know me — are aware that I am a chatterbox. Very rarely will I run out of words to say to someone who is in pain or dealing with a life circumstance, but this week was different. How do you possibly tell someone who has a terminal illness just to be positive because life always works itself out? Or how do you tell someone who is losing everything they own because of a job loss, to trust that there are plenty of jobs on the market, and surely they will eventually find another job. You don't, because encouraging someone in a time of need goes deeper than positive affirmation and a call to be strong and endure the ride.

As a believer, I know that God wants me to help those in times of need and to encourage those who are broken. However, where does one begin to walk out that call? I believe that it starts with today's Scripture, one of the most dynamic verses in the Bible. It tells us that we are to be strong and courageous because the Lord is with us no matter what we go through, or where we are in life. What this Scripture tells me is that all believers have the God of the universe walking with them through every trial and dark place imaginable, so there is no need to fear. How refreshing this message is to my soul!

Instead of trying to fix our friends, family, or loved ones with positive statements or false claims of hope, why not encourage them in God's love for them? Because of that love He will never leave us or forsake us. Let's be an example of God's love and encouragement to others by walking hand in hand with them through their pain, because that is what God does for His creation.

Today, you can become a walking encourager by showing others God's unwavering love and commitment to them. Ask the Lord daily to show you how you can encourage someone who may be shattered by life, and watch as the Lord uses you to heal and lift up those who have lost hope.

Prayer: Dear Father God, help us be agents of encouragement and love. Help us to be open to Your Spirit and Your direction when dealing with others. Give us the boldness to love by our actions and not just by our words. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

But after careful observation, I've noticed that some Christians, when they are anxious, act the way I do after drinking a gallon of coffee by myself: freaked out, frazzled, and buzzing on busy behaviour! When we try to handle everything in our lives by ourselves, the burden on our shoulders can drive us mad, sending us into a raging, bug-eyed fit! We lose sleep over bills getting paid; we fret over our children growing up to be healthy adults; we worry over a marital concern; we agonize over our friendships, and so on. We then step in with our plan to handle and fix each and every hardship experienced. This is the fun part, because if you really want to be freaked out, frazzled, and buzzing on busy behaviour, try playing God in your life. The Bible tells us Christians:

1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (NIV)

However, I have a tendency to think that "all" only means "some", and the rest must be up to me. But God said to throw every care into His loving embrace, no matter how minute it may seem. But why should you and I trust God with our concerns? The answer is so very simple: He really does care about us and desires only our wellbeing and success in life. The problem is our unwillingness to trust Him.

Trust is a hard issue because it involves being vulnerable to others and giving a portion of our lives to them. Some readers, like me, have probably been burned badly in the past and are not as quick to hand over a piece of our soul easily; however, God is not like man, and we can trust Him with our life. John 3:16 tells us how our loving God sent His only Son, named Jesus, to die for our sins. Could you trust a God like that? I know I could. However, some habits die hard, like my coffee consumption (I'm grinning ear to ear!)

The question directed at us is this: how long do we want to run ourselves ragged with worry and anxiety? Do we enjoy being half nuts and buzzing with our attempts to handle everything in our lives, or would we rather let the God of the universe handle them for us? I do not know about you, but I am tired of being freaked out, frazzled, and buzzing on busy behaviour in a vain attempt to solve my problems. How much better to simply trust Him! Let us take some time today and practice letting go of every concern, even the very difficult ones. Start small, and gradually work up. God is patient and knows how easily we try to snatch those concerns back and run wild with them. Give yourself a break today, and while you're at it, you might try decaf for a change. Grin!

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, help us to rely on You daily for strength and peace. Help our lives be a representation of Your love and wisdom as we walk out our Christian journey. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

The whole process of looking for the wrapper took more time than it should have and was a waste, in my opinion. It wasn't like his mother, who lives in Alaska, was going to fly down at that very moment and discover that we had cluttered up her beautiful car with some crumbs and a missing wrapper; my friend, however, did not see the situation the same way. He had been raised in an overly strict home, where every little mistake had retribution of severe consequences. In his mind, this was important, but I had a more laid-back approach to this whole cracker drama, not having been raised as severely as he had been. Eventually, after a heated debate, we located the vile wrapper and finished cleaning the car. Once the dust had settled between us, and we realized how silly the whole event had been, we broke out in hysterics, because, really, we had simply misunderstood each other.

Relationships are very complicated, especially if both parties bring their own set of life wounds and problems into the mix, which actually is very normal. I believe a majority of relational problems stem from a lack of understanding about the other person and why they behave the way they do. In the scenario I just gave, the real problem was not the crackers but the response both my friend and I presented towards the situation.

Psalm 139:14 – I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (NIV)

God made us fearfully and wonderfully, even with all our weaknesses. This silly example brings home a very important point: we all are made by God and deserve understanding and respect, even if the other person's response to a situation doesn't make sense. I was guilty of being too judgmental about my friend and his response to the cracker issue, which in his mind was a huge deal. Later on in life, I found out about his childhood and how severe it was — borderline abusive — which would explain his reaction to something so insignificant to me. God made him and has far more compassion and understanding towards him than I could ever have. If by chance I had given my friend a little more room to be himself, I might have had a better understanding of his actions as well.

Maybe you are in the place I was — with a friend, family member, or colleague — a place where you just do not always "get" them. Or maybe you are a person who feels very misunderstood by others, and wish there were someone who would embrace you fully, bruises and all. I have fantastic news: God does! He made you and understands everything, and according to Psalm 139, you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God — what freedom that is! If we would simply take the time to recognize each person as unique and specifically made by God, who knows, we might join them and become lost cracker detectives too.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You have made each one of us fearfully and wonderfully — unique! Help us to accept Your love as all the approval that we need, and enable us to accept others who are hard to understand or even get along with, on the same basis as You love us. Amen.