I am convinced that encouragement can really inspire us and go a long way to helping us achieve things that we might not ordinarily accomplish. As I rush through my busy day I am sure a lot of times I do not take the time to stop and encourage someone who might be struggling with something in their life. After all it might make me miss something on my self imposed hurried agenda. As I grow older I am thankfully learning to slow down a bit and take the time to smell the roses so to speak. We are all surrounded by a lot of people who are hurting for some reason or another. We ourselves may be that person. Words fitly spoken can be of great encouragement to someone who is struggling. One such person is Justin Keith Cullins. I first met Justin at the Bristol YMCA about a month ago. Here is his story in his own words.
“ I started having chest pain when I was 23 years old and was a the weight of 418 pounds. I was sh scared from the chest pains that I would stay awake all night because I did not think I would wake up. I decided it was time for a change. I started walking at the park. One mile was all my body could handle at first but before long I was doing two miles then eventually I could walk four miles. I kept pushing myself knowing that if I wanted a healthy life I had to do it. I joined the Bristol YMCA and also began to watch what I ate and found ways to take the things I was eating and make them a little bit healthier. Also cutting my portion sizes to reduce my caloric intake was the next step in my journey to a healthy lifestyle. At the gym I was keeping my cardio changed up and putting in 1-2 hour four days a week to begin with. I noticed the results from my hard work first on the scales then in my clothes. I got really excited and started adding more time to my workouts and also started lifting weights so I could tone my body. Many people at the gym started encouraging me and giving me great advice. Without all the ENCOURAGEMENT, I might not have made it. Being at the gym around positive influences made a huge difference in my progress. It has been a year and seven months and I have lost 190 pounds!!”
That is Justin’s story. There are many Justin’s around us each and every day maybe they need a word of encouragement from you and me. Maybe it’s about their health or it’s about a relationship, or maybe about a spiritual decision. Your words of wisdom and encouragement might be exactly what they need. Words fitly spoken can be wonderful gift. So if you are a little longer at the grocery store or miss a test message because you are helping someone it will be well worth your time investment. See you in the gym.
