3/11/11
Do you have a cheerleader in your life? Are you a cheerleader in someone else’s life? When Mother died in 2001 I lost my #1 cheerleader. It's such a loss when the one who loves you unconditionally is “gone.” Yet, the Lord in his faithfulness has given me lots of "encouragers" throughout my life. They just became more relevant when Mother was absent from said life.
At Noah’s “first graders” basketball game last week their Tiger team even had cheerleaders. Not sure they fully understood cheering for the team but the words were right and their equipment included megaphones and pom-poms---essential to making sure the words could be heard. Positive words. Encouraging words. 
Even as a Morningside Elementary cheerleader, (short one on far right side of back row----can’t miss that home perm) I learned lessons about supporting others. All our cheers were of the "2-4, 6- 8, who do we appreciate" variety. We weren’t even allowed to “yell” anything with negative connotations toward the opposing team.
I need to be more of a cheerleader for my own family. Daughter Molly has a way of taking me to task if I become too “preachy.” I can all too easily recount the bad possibilities that one might encounter on chosen courses of action. I call it being realistic. She calls me a “Debbie Downer” or a “Negative Nancy”----especially if my remarks in anyway thwarts her plans. Even when I explain that I was only trying to be helpful, she says I spell helpful as c-o-n-t-r-o-l. Control is not encouraging. Neither is false praise or overindulgence. Enabling is not encouraging.
It’s scriptural to encourage one another. The world needs more cheerleaders. I would “suit up” but I’m no longer eency. But.....I still have several of my high school letters. Maybe I’ll hang them up as reminders to cheer on family and friends in their life journeys. Maybe I’ll look for that old “M” to urge me to be Molly’s cheerleader as my mother was for me.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily,……
Ask yourself these questions: Do I bring sunshine or gloom into the room? Do I excuse myself by redefining negativity, by saying, "I'm just a worrier or I was born that way?" Or, "It’s just my nature. I’m depressed, always have been."
Give it up for others. Grab a pom-pom and be visible with your support. Use a megaphone for words of encouragement and drown out the negative. Stand in someone else’s corner. Be on their team. Be their cheerleader.
