Back Roads To Belonging By Kristen StrongSample

Kristen Strong: Back Roads to Belonging Devotional Day 6

“Encourage Another”

Scripture reading: Luke 1:5-45

At one point during Elizabeth’s pregnancy, her much younger cousin, who also happened to be pregnant, came to visit. When teenage Mary entered her house, Elizabeth knew this was no ordinary familial visit. No, ma’am. Because as Mary greeted her cousin, Elizabeth’s baby bounced up and down inside her. It was as if Elizabeth’s baby could not contain his excitement over the visitor—or rather, visitors.

From a place of total humility, Elizabeth verbally lifted Mary up over and over again. “You are a blessing! Your baby is a blessing! What have I done to get the privilege of you visiting me? Bless you again for the good choices you’ve made!” Elizabeth celebrated Mary’s belonging place as the Savior’s mother through a steady stream of beautiful, life-giving affirmation and encouragement.

Elizabeth could’ve let jealousy and comparison rule the day. She could’ve been all-out annoyed that this young’un had swooped in to flaunt her pregnancy with the baby Son of God. She could’ve said—or at least thought—You would have to one-up me here and throw a rain cloud on my own good news! She could’ve chosen to try to put a damper on Mary’s God-given belonging place by pushing away her relationship with Mary. But she didn’t.

Instead, she affirmed Mary’s belonging place, and in turn that affirmed her own belonging place as one benefiting from the Savior Mary would birth. It also affirmed her belonging place because it showed how she fit in as one to speak blessing from a place of humility. Any time a woman wanting to belong helps another see all the ways she belongs, that woman stands in a place of humility as she builds another up. And standing in a place of humility is a back road where one always belongs.

By encouraging Mary, Elizabeth encouraged herself. The same goes for you and me: encouraging others will encourage ourselves. It’s the not-so-subtle nudge that sends jealousy and comparison over our own belonging places running up Pikes Peak. It’s one surefire way to take the spotlight off our own pity party over where we wish we belonged and put it on the celebration of where God has placed us.

Belong blessing: May you follow Elizabeth’s example of choosing blessing over comparison and jealousy. And may you find yourself standing in the sunlit encouragement you share as it illuminates far beyond where you hoped or imagined it would.