Hello, Friends. Welcome back for another Friday spent with Lisa-Jo and the Five-minute crowd. Today, we’re taking five minutes to write on the prompt Encouragement. Do you have five minutes to write, read, or both? Why don’t you join us?
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community…
Today’s Prompt: Encouragement
My middle schooler came home with a story of a fellow student who said she wants to die. This story (all true, all unfolding a few miles away from my front door) is about a kid who put those words in a poem on the internet, who was found out, who had a counselor follow her around to each and every class all day.
This kid faced the shame of everyone else’s looks, of their whispered concerns, and their gossip and misunderstanding. This kid is clinging to life, but certainly her soul died a thousand tiny deaths for each and every story that got whispered down the lane of the school corridors.
My son doesn’t know this student, but he knows of her. Now, he knows the rumors too, and I don’t know that he’ll ever eat his way down past the juicy flesh of the gossip to the pit of truth at the core. I asked him to pray, but more than that, I asked him to encourage his friends to stop the whispering, to stop partaking of the fruit. Be a friend, I said. Be a friend who listens, rather than speaks.
…………………
Oh, for the wisdom of Solomon when it comes to these difficult conversations. Have you had some tough talks with your kids? I could use your encouragement and wisdom today.
