Home, home on the range,
Home on the Range by Dr. Brewster Higley
Where the Deer and the Antelope play,
Where seldom is heard,
a discouraging word,
And the sky is not cloudy all day.
As a child, I loved that song. The thought of some place where none of the words were discouraging made me want to go west as soon as I grew up. Perhaps that is why I still have a soft spot for Arizona.
Nobody likes discouraging words. Unfortunately, we can all get a little self-righteous and justified in spreading a little verbal venom now and then. We can even feel like we are spouting truth even while we do it in a less-than-gracious way. Even squirrels have a rough time with insults and verbal barbs. They can return insults with nuts, especially if they have a birdseye view.
Be encouraged today. When you hear a discouraging word. Don’t return it with your own tirade. Get away from words meant to take away our courage. Find encouragement, and be an encouragement to others. That is a much better way.
