ponderings

Last Sunday our pastor preached from Philippians 4:10-13, emphasizing the encouragement and care that the Philippian church showed to Paul, as well as Paul's contentment.

I have been mulling the passage over all week.

The pastor didn't specifically challenge us to be more encouraging to each other, but my mind went there on its own.
I remembered Barnabas, who was called Joseph but renamed because he was so encouraging. He seems to have done it all in the background, as he is mentioned only a few times. In each instance he is helping others, encouraging them, spurring them to growth and maturity.
We, as the curch, are supposed to come along side each other; to exhort, yes, but also encourage. Each and every one of us are living in this fallen world, the one where the Prince of Darkness reigns (for now) and tries to steal our Joy. Not only are we as the Body called to spur each other on to "love and good works", but also to glory in Christ and our salvation, to bring glory to him, to worship in our ordinary moments, and to Joy.
There is a family in this church whose little girl went to Heaven a few weeks ago due to a medical emergency related to her cerebral palsy. How can we -I - come alongside them with encouragement?