A Tribute to Tom

Earlier this year I lost one of my few faithful readers.

Talking about my loss seems trivial compared to what his family lost. His wife lost a husband, his children lost their father, his grandchildren a grandfather, and a host of friends an encourager.

To be honest I didn’t know Tom very well, definitely not as well as I would have liked. But I know a few things about him: He consistently “liked” the posts I shared from my blog on social media, and he would comment encouragement or agreement. These may have just been because Facebook algorithms made sure he saw my posts, but I don’t think so. I think Tom was an encourager.

Our world has too many of us who are focused on shouting louder so that everyone hears us. We need people who care enough to listen. To affirm us when we’re on the right track and be honest when we’re not.

The Call to Be an Encourager

I think people like Tom were on the mind and heart of the writer of Hebrews when he penned these words:

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23–25 

We can apply these three thoughts:

Hold onto the Truths of God

When we have the truth and know we have it, we can be a lot more confident and helpful in our dealings with others. We can be consistent because we are looking to a changeless source of wisdom. We can be compassionate because we remember the change God’s word has made in our life. We can be “unwavering” because “he is faithful that promised”.

Hold onto the truths of God.

Carefully plan out How you will prompt others to Love and Good Works

Being an encouragement often falls apart because we aren’t ready to do it. We can plan ahead for how to encourage people to love and prompt them to do good works. This is unnatural for humanity. We don’t naturally love as Jesus loved and serve selflessly.

Part of being an encourager may simply be modeling love and good works.

Be where you can be an encouragement.

“Being where you can be an encouragement” almost seems too obvious to mention. But it’s profound. You will be able to encourage those you know and interact with. You won’t be able to encourage those you don’t know and don’t interact with.

Church meetings are the natural “place” for this encouragement, but with the right intentionality, you can be an encourager anywhere you go.

Tom was all of these things. He was confident and didn’t feel the need to put me down (though he had years of life experience that I don’t). He knew the value of a “like” or a comment, and I got the impression from his comments on others’ posts that he was free and liberal with his encouragement. And HE WAS THERE. I’m sure he had better things to do with his time than read my posts, but he chose to read them. And I am so honored that he did.

Be An Encourager

I almost lost my dad around the time Tom was struggling before his death. In that time of busyness and emotion, I stopped blogging. But now as things have started to return to “normal” I am reminded of my encourager. And I am back at my computer hoping to be that encourager to someone else… even just one person. 

This world has lost Tom. But we haven’t lost you.

You can be this kind of encourager to others. Even if it’s one person: show genuine interest, give a word of encouragement, be faithful. You don’t know the difference you could make in a life.