A Wee Bit of Encouragement

I consider myself to have the spiritual gift of exhortation. I believe God has blessed me with the ability to listen to people and not help them solve their problem, but feel better about themselves when dealing with said problem. What happens when an encourager needs encouragement? This week has indeed posed this question in my general direction. My friend from North Carolina, Melissa Bearden has answered this question for me. We are pretty close, but we have never met. One of those, internet friendships you might say. Even though we've never been in the same room with each other, she continues to amaze me with how much she cares about what's going on in my life. This email is a portion of what made me feel really good tonight. Lord knows she is a better friend to me, than I am to her. And I'm so grateful for our friendship, even if it mostly happens online:

You inspire me! I admire you more and more, the more I get to know you. You really make yourself vulnerable to everyone and everything by telling the core of what you honestly and truly feel and think. I really don't think I could do that with so many people reading... and commenting. I applaud you. I have an online diary.. and I hardly ever write in it, and when I do.. it's stuff I'm racking my brain to put on there... be/c I know people will be reading it.. so I don't always tell the whole story.. I don't tell the core of what I am truly and honestly feeling. I do however do that when I write in my personal journal, which I have stacked over here in a corner with my Bibles and my prayer journal.

Thank you for letting me, and for letting everyone else see the true Jeffery Watkins. You are a better person for doing that. I am thankful that I get to see who you are... especially since I don't get to see you on a day to day basis... I enjoy reading everything you write. I always read everything posted, and all the comments. I don't always comment myself, most of the time be/c I am blown away at the intellectual aspect of what all of you say.. I don't even know how to respond. But do know that I go everyday at least twice to see what new posts are there.

Please know that I am thinking about you and praying for you. I don't know what you are going through, I am sad and sorry to say. I'm your friend.. I should have some what of an idea. But we don't get to talk often.. so that's one reason. There are many others.. and we both know what they are. Just know that you are always in my prayers... and God is looking out for you, when I can't--- and even when I can! :)