ENCOURAGE THEM

Today was a miserable day at Camp Atterbury.  It was cold; it was raining; it was cold AND raining (just trying to paint the picture for you).  Those conditions are not the greatest for sitting in a small metal trailer, but they are even worse for standing in line outside waiting for a chicken sandwich.  So, Ashley and I were not only wet and cold from unloading the car and sitting in the trailer, but I knew we were not going to sell too many sandwiches.

I will say, that I was surprised by the number of sandwiches we did sell and at one point we had a line of about 15 soldiers standing in the cold rain.  But what surprised me the most was what happened during one of our slow times.

We heard it coming; it sounded like a wedding caravan.  There were multiple vehicles honking their horns.  I was struggling to picture a wedding caravan on a military post, but that was all I could envision.  It was getting closer and closer.  When the caravan passed by, I was almost in tears.

Driving in the cold rain was a line (and when I say "a line", it was not a short line) of motorcycles.  Some of them had flags that said, "We Support Our Troops", some were wearing red, white, and blue.  But all of them were honking and waving to the troops; all of them were soaked to the bone.

And that got me thinking...what are you willing to do to support someone in their walk with the Lord?  What are you willing to risk to stand with someone who has taken a stance?  Are you making choices based on choices others have made for the Lord?

These men and women were willing to risk sickness (for sure, wetness) to thank the soldiers for their service and encourage them.  They could have chosen a drier day; they could have gone when it didn't cost them as much in comfort.  We need to do the same in our lives.  Walk alongside someone who is struggling in their sin; encourage them there is a better way to live.  Stand with someone or a business who has taken a hard stance for the Lord; encourage them in their stance.  Frequent businesses who choose to honor the Lord and close their doors on Sundays so their employees can worship; encourage them in their choice.

It's not about us.  It's not about "staying dry" or working around our comfort.  It's not about choosing what's best for us; it's about serving others.  Encourage them.