Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)
Someone shared a video with us about a bird that had been in a cage for so long that it had forgotten how to fly.
In the video, the bird and several people who had been instrumental in getting it released from captivity are together at the top of a mountain. Throughout the video, you can see them encouraging the bird to fly.
After a number of heart-wrenching moments, the bird finally summons the courage to fly. But before taking off, it turns to the people in what appears to be a gesture of thanks, spreads its wings, and flies, soaring majestically into the air.
Like those people encouraging the bird, we are called to encourage each other. Some of us have forgotten what it feels like to step out and move forward, and some may never have had the courage to try.
As followers of Jesus, let us make it our goal to encourage each other. A simple act of kindness and support may be all that is needed to help someone step out and move forward.
We have included the link to the video for your viewing. It is 4 minutes and 37 seconds long, but totally worth the wait for the final scene. https://youtu.be/Bs0Q59Kyees
"You will find, if you think for a moment, that the people who influence you are the people who believe in you."
- Henry Drummond