The boy and the grandfather sit in the fishing boat…

Feeling the gentle sway of the waves…

Watching the sun glint off the choppy water…

Looking at the spot where the line disappears in the mix of sunlight and water..

They sit fishing…

And watching

And remembering…

The Grandson…in his 20’s now…looks out across the water and remembers…

Remembers the summer weeks he spent with his grandparents on the lake…

His Grandmother cooking the fish they caught…

Or if there were no fish…

Cooking meals on the little cabin stove…

Wonderful meals that made the whole house smell like home.

The boy sees the far-away look in his grandfather’s eyes…

And knows he must be remembering, too…

The grandfather thinks of the first time he came to the lake…

over 40 years ago…

For his honeymoon.

It was the beginning of a family tradition.

Every year summer after that, he and his wife came to this same lake in the North woods…until two years ago.

Because two years ago, his wife died.

This trip is the grandfather’s first since her death…

The memories are good.  But painful.

The grandson wants to encourage his grandfather..

To thank him for all the summer weeks he spent with his grandparents..

He starts to speak…

But not sure he knows the right words…

Perhaps lacking the courage…

He hesitates.

And the wind blows the boat in a circle around its anchor.

A fishing line caught on a submerged limb, grows taut…

And the moment passes.

Have you noticed that it takes courage to encourage one another?

It takes courage to encourage one another as we face life’s circumstances…

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Romans 12:15

We need courage to encourage one another to live a Christlike life…

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  Matthew 16:24

To encourage one another to follow Jesus’ command spread the good news of the gospel…

…go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28:19

Lacking the courage, we often stay silent.

And miss the chance to do what the Bible tells us …

…encourage one another and build one another up…1 Thessalonians 5:11

All for the lack of courage.

How would the world change…

If only we remembered that the courage we seek is already in us…

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  2 Timothy 1:7