Encouraging Actions
Words have tremendous power. What we say can change the direction of someone’s life. In addition to that how we encourage people goes a long way in determining their ability to live. We can make a tremendous difference if we just take a second and think about how the words we are about to say and the things we are about to do. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“Put your mind in gear before you put your mouth in motion” is a popular statement but we should add “before we put our Chrome Horn in someone’s rear.” Sometimes we encourage people to get even!
Encouragement is a two-step process, it matters what we say and it matters what we do. Last week I talked about watching what we say. This week we will learn the difference between encouraging actions and actions that handicap.
Most of us got to where we are in racing because of what we learned from someone. Think back in your memory, who are the people you remember most? We remember those who helped point you in the right direction, those who motivated you to do better, and those who helped you without doing it for you.
Encouragement doesn’t mean doing something for someone. This might help us understand that a little better.
A man found the cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. And we could never fly.
We need to remember that encouragement has many shapes and forms; instead of giving someone a fish, we need to teach them to fish. Giving people instructions and watching them struggle through the learning process can be difficult. Fight the temptation to jump in and do it for them.
We need to help them, support them and most of all we need to forgive them when they make a mistake. God handles us the same way.
God give us the freedom to make mistakes and then forgives us when we fail, picks us up, places us back where we belong and lets us try again.
We need to be the same way. That’s where the trouble comes in.
We are too busy and too impatient to wait and watch a flower grow or a butterfly struggle out of a cocoon and spread its wings. We have done more to handicap the next generation by giving them everything they want now than we have done to help them. That is just a commentary on the society in which we live. We live in an immediate society. We want it now!
Our ability to resist making everything better goes a long way toward helping mold and shape people into the people they need to be. We encourage them with words and we also encourage them with our presence. With our willingness to walk along side them and help them find the right path.
True encouragement requires we not only be careful with what we say, but we are careful with what we do. David wrote this about God.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
God wants us all to grow to our full potential in him and he is willing to let us learn along the way to get us there. He walks along beside us helping us along, picking us up when we fall, carrying us when we are not strong enough, guiding us with his word. He is there every moment of everyday ready to provide the encouragement we need. He will not do it for us but he will enable us to achieve it.
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:
“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me.”
The LORD replied:
“My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”
The race was one for the summer memory bank. When they ask you what you did this summer, this will be one of the events on the list. TC, Todd Szegedy and Mike Stefanik dueled through several late race restarts. There were several lead changes that won’t show up in the stats as they didn’t take place at the start/finish line. TC’s clutch was slipping but he overcame that with horsepower to win his first race in over a year.
Doug Coby was back in the #77 of Curt Chase and brought the car home to a fourth place finish. Doug has been out a racecar for a few weeks but you would never know. He demonstrated the form that saw him visit victory lane in last Year’s Spring Sizzler. Good job Doug.
Woody Pitkat made his WMT debut at his home track and did a good job bringing the Hillbilly Racing GTO home with a top ten in tenth place. He visited victory lane earlier in the evening, winning the SKmod feature. By winning he added to his lead in the national point standing for the Whelen All-American Series.
We have a few folks that we need to put on our prayer list. Linda Brady made it back to the track but needs our prayers as she deals with some liver issues.
Art Barry’s wife Debbie had a stroke last week and is undergoing tests to determine the best treatment. Keep Art and Debbie in your thoughts and prayers.
Please keep each of these families and the entire WMT family in your Thoughts and Prayers.
There is a WMT picnic in the planning for the September race at NHIS. Let Jeri Defrane or Cheryl Tomaino know if you can bring something.
Rev. Dan made the trip up to Chemung Speedrome Saturday night and received a warm welcome. He wanted to say thanks to all the folks up there for allowing us to participate in the program and we are looking forward to heading back next year.
This week finds us at Thompson on Thursday night, stop by and say hi.
Be a witness for our Lord with the ministry decals and apparel. See them at the Online Apparel Store at www.RWJM.org. Call us with your prayer and counseling needs and list all your prayer needs, no matter what part of our racing family you are in, with the Racing Family Prayer Request Page www.rwjm.org/page/prayers.php also send your prayer request by mail. Until next time, remember that God loves you, we love you and
Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing. GOD BLESS.
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Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
May God always Bless you, everyday in everyway. Rev. Don
CHECKERED CHEERS
August 15
JOHN & DENISE DURLING- This
August 20
ANDY & BARBARA HALL- This former NASCAR PR director, now Indy Racing League official, and wife have their 18th anniversary.
DAN & LAURIE WALKER- The Public Relations Director at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and wife share their 22nd.
August 21
JERRY & LESLIE BURCHETTE- This Super Pro IHRA driver and wife share their 14th anniversary.
STEVE & BONNIE MILLER- This NASCAR BNS GRAND NATIONAL couple from
***BELATED***
August 14
BOB & DEBBIE YURKO- This couple can be seen recording the action at Monadnock and Thompson weekly have their special day. As I heard one announcer put it “she must be a saint”
***HAPPY BIRTHDAYS***
August 15
JOHN DURLING- Reading, PA championship Grandview Speedway Late Model driver.
A.J. ROMANO- Johnstown, NY dirt Modified driver.
SAM SCHMIDT- Las Vegas, NV part-time IRL driver.
MARIO FIORE- The famous
DICK CLARK- Long Island occasional NASCAR WMT driver.
MARCEL DUSSEAULT- Somerswoth, NH former NASCAR BES Marc Motorsports team owner.
GEORGE FOSSETT- Gray, ME fan.
KENNY HOLLIS- No.
ADAM LEE O’BRIEN- Kyle Petty’s biggest fan and son of Tammy from
August 16
DR. JERRY PUNCH- Cornelius, NC much loved ESPN/ABC racing announcer, but most importantly, Joni’s husband.
ERIC BEERS-
BILL KISER-
DAWN SANSEVERINO- A daughter of
MICHAEL JIVANELLI- A son of
August 17
PHIL RONDEAU- Baltic, CT Hooters Cup/LM driver.
JIM ROSENFIELD- MA ProStock driver.
JIM TERWILLIGER- Bloomingburg, NY 1956 Sprint URC Rookie of the Year, now retired.
CHRIS ROMANO- AARN’s “Midget Magic” columnist, now down south.
SHERIL PERRY- She writes about Seekonk Speedway from
ARLENE HARD- Wife of Vill, race car fan since 1958 from
RON HANNA- Amsterdam, NY Fonda
August 18
DAVEY JOHNSON- Imperial, PA S.T.A.R.S. Late Model driver.
DOUG DIDERO- Oswego Speedway/ISMA SuperModified driver.
SAM STERN- MA ProStock driver.
BETH SEMINARA- Originally from
AMANDA VECCHIO- The daughter of
August 19
MIKE ROWE- One of
PAUL SPENCER- Berwick, PA brother of NNC driver JIm.
TIM BENDER- Colden, NY NASCAR BES driver.
FRAN COLSON- Leominster, MA ProStock driver.
JIM KEEKER- USAC Midget driver.
LINDA SANSEVERINO- Wife of
JULIE POTTER- Preston, CT Modified fan.
August 20
JOHN LESNIAK- Wallingford, CT NASCAR BES driver
CHARLIE KREMER- NJ asphalt Modified driver.
STEVE MILLER- Waterford, NJ BES team part-owner.
DENNIS PUNCH- PR man for the Brewco BGN Team. Dennis is also Dr. Jerry’s brother.
August 21
NEAL FEOLA- He really isn’t “Nasty Neal” and is a Blunderbust driver at Riverhead Raceway.
TIM ATTAYA- Promoter of the
RENE LaLUMIERE- Jefferson, NH retired LM driver.
KAREN MARQUIS- Enfield, CT wife of NASCAR WMT and BES driver Jerry.
BILL SANSEVERINO- Son of
*** IN THE SHOP ***
JORDAN EMERSON- Jordan was injured Wednesday at Beech Ridge. We ask the Lord for a full and quick recovery. Please keep her and her folks, Jimmy and Debbie in your prayers.
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