Encouragement

So I spent the weekend thinking about what the word 'encouragement' meant to me, personally. I was brought back to a couple of weeks ago as I was flying home from the family reunion in Idaho I was staring out the window of the plane into the clouds watching through the spaces in them the earth beneath pass by. It was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever had. The hope that filled me from within as I was looking out the window was something I didn't want to forget. I haven't had the chance to journal down my thoughts and when I saw that today's blog hop was encouragement - what a perfect time.

I had my iPod on with my headphones in my ears - when these lyrics sang in my ears:

"It passes all my understanding,
All the beauty we have here
From the majesty of the canyons
To a tiny baby's ear
And even when I can't believe it,
He still believes in me
It passes all my understanding

We watched the sun set through the clouds
In a tiny little airplane window
With people sleeping all around
And I thought of how we just expect this world to be

It passes all my understanding,
That the Lord knows both our names
And that He made this world for everyone
That was sitting on that plane
And in spite of all of man's distractions
He offers us His peace
That passes all my understanding"

Our loving Father in Heaven gives us so much hope and peace. Having the knowledge the He lives makes my heart glow with warmth. The encouragement I felt while looking out my own aircraft window knowing that someone greater than us all created this beautiful world for us to live in to enjoy and to grow. Knowing that He sent His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ to die for us so we might return to live with Him and that we could overcome sin and temptation, is filled with hope that encourages me on a daily basis. I am thankful for this, and for being able to literally see His love and the hope He has for us that surrounds us when other things in this life seem to be falling apart everyday.