Thinking Out Loud, Volume DVIII

I grew up on the banks of Hemps Creek in central Louisiana, and naturally I had my favorite spots on that creek. One weekend after I was a married man with a couple of small children, we had gone home to spend the weekend with my parents, and I decided I would take my six year old daughter to show her one of those favorite spots. It had been raining, but the rain had moved on out of the area, so we straddled our bikes and started our mile long journey down the dirt road toward our destination. She was not long past graduating from her training wheels, so this was quite an experience for her, and it also ended up being one I'll always remember, as it taught me an important lesson on encouraging others. When we had reached about half way, we came to a low spot in the road and for about twenty feet, the road was completely under water. I told her to just wait there and I rode on through the water to make sure it was not too deep and didn't have any slippery drop offs. I was assured that it was completely safe for a six year old, so I gave her the go ahead to proceed on through the water, but she was terrified, especially since she couldn't see the bottom. Finally, with my persuasion and the unwavering trust she had in her dad, she relented. As soon as her wheels hit the water, however, panic set in and she started screaming, "I can't! I can't!" All the while, I was standing on the other side, yelling, "Yes you can! Don't stop! Don't stop! Keep pedaling!! Keep pedaling!!" I kept thinking she was gonna give up any second, so I didn't let up with my "Keep pedaling!! Keep pedaling!!" There is no doubt in my mind that if I hadn't kept yelling those words to her, she would've stopped, and both of us would have been in trouble when we got home. Can you think of any times in your life when you were going through a very trying experience and someone who loved and cared for you talked you through it and refused to let you give up? Are you also able to look back and conclude that it was those words of encouragement that pulled you through? More than likely, you and I can recall times when we've been the encourager and other times when we've been the encouragee. I can even remember instances when I've offered words of encouragement to a friend, and then later when I was going through a trying time, that friend reminded me of my own words to them. The primary point I want to emphasize today, however, is that your friends will remember what you told them when they were about to give up. You see, that day when my little girl and I rode our bikes down to the creek, we also had to go back home, which means we had to ride through that same water on the way back. Yes, I did remind her to keep pedaling, but I have to tell you, she approached that water with a completely different attitude that second time. I guess what I'm trying to say is when we give encouraging words to a friend, those words will live on in their minds, and they will remember them the next time they face a similar problem. Many years after the "Keep Pedaling" incident, Rodney Atkins recorded one of my favorite country songs with the same basic message: "If you're going through hell, keep on going. Don't slow down. If you're scared don't show it. You might get out before the devil even knows you're there. If you're going through hell, keep on moving. Face that fire. Walk right through it. You might get out before the devil even knows you're there." Preston