“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” – Titus 1:9
Douglas Maurer, fifteen of Creve Coeur, Missouri, had been feeling bad for several days. His temperature was ranging between 103 and 105 degrees, and he was suffering flu-like symptoms. His mother, Donna, took him to the emergency room where blood tests revealed one of the most agonizing things a parent could learn about a child. Douglas was diagnosed as having leukemia.
During the next forty-eight hours, Douglas endured blood transfusions, spinal and bone marrow tests, and chemotherapy. For five days his mother stayed in his hospital room. The doctors were frank about his disease. They told him that for the next three years he would have to undergo chemotherapy. They told Douglas that he would go bald and that his body would most likely bloat. Upon learning this, he went into a deep depression.
On his first day in the hospital, he said to his mother, "I thought you get flowers when you're in the hospital." One of his aunts telephoned Brix Florist in St. Louis. His aunt wanted the sales clerk to be aware of the flower arrangement's significance. "I want the planter
to be especially attractive. It's for my teenage nephew who has leukemia," she told the clerk. "Oh," said the sales clerk. "Let's add some fresh-cut flowers to brighten it up."
When the floral arrangement arrived it was beautiful. Douglas opened the envelope and read the card from his aunt. Then he saw another card. The second card read: "Douglas--I took your order. I work at Brix Florist. I had leukemia when I was seven years old. I'm 22 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you. Sincerely, Laura Bradley."
Douglas' face lit up. His mother said, "For the first time since he had been in the hospital, he had gotten some inspiration. He had talked to so many doctors and nurses. But this one card, from the woman at the florist who had survived leukemia, was the thing that made him believe he might beat the disease."
Each of us needs to encourage believers and non-believers to follow Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for the good news we have in Jesus Christ and seek to encourage others to closely follow Him.
"God intends that we be people who use words to encourage one another. A well-timed word has the power to urge a runner to the finish line, to rekindle hope when despair has set in, to spark a bit of warmth in an otherwise cold life, to trigger healthful self-evaluation to someone who doesn't think much about his shortcomings, to renew confidence when problems have the upper hand." - Lawrence J. Crabb, Jr.
God’s Word: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
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