Cheerleading

It is amazing how one can be among a crowd of people, and yet feel still alone. I experienced this at the Welcome Back Dance tonight. Unfortunately, most of my friends attending the dance found a strange enjoyment in dancing in Sweat and Body Odor central. No joke. So I found myself roaming around, adding yet another medal to my collection of People Watching awards. As I wandered to and fro, I thought about who I could hang out with after the dance, and eliminated everyone except for my brother and sister-in-law. And then it hit me like a bucket of water. The sadness rushed over me in a quick wave. They weren't here anymore. They moved to Alabama a week ago. Some of my dearest friends I could always rely on were gone, at least physically. I felt alone. Let me make this clear - I wasn't depressed, or lost, or feeling bad for myself, I was just locked into my own head. Among all of those people, no one noticed the bucket of sadness that had recently been dumped on my head. But I knew everything would be okay.
I knew because of a hymn I sung recently. Hymn # 243 to be exact - Let Us All Press On, third verse

"If we do what's right we have no need to fear,
For the Lord, our helper, will ever be near;
In the days of trial his Saints he will cheer,
and prosper the cause of truth.
Fear not, though the enemy deride;
Courage, for the Lord is on our side.
We will heed not what the wicked may say,
but the Lord alone we will obey."

Isn't that great. Our Heavenly Father is cheering us on. He is always on our side. We are never alone. This hymn creates an image in my head of when my dad and brothers would chase me down the sidelines at my soccer games. They would follow right behind shouting encouraging words and giving quick advice. That is how I feel about my Heavenly Father and my brother, Jesus Christ. They are always there cheering me on. I can imagine their cheers "Defense" or "Let's go Jenny, Let's go!" or their applause whenever I accomplish something. Simple thoughts like these are what keep me going from trial to trial.

The best part is that we are sent wonderful people to cheer us on in place of him in times of need. Among my many motivators is my dear friend, Benjamin Ross Taylor. As I have watched him get ready to leave on his mission, I have realized what a great cheerleader he has been for me. He has always encouraged me and always leaves me feeling better than before. I will be forever grateful for his friendship. This is my minuscule tribute to him.

Although we often have the rude tendencies to mock our sports cheerleaders, we should realize that the hidden cheerleaders in our lives can make the most difference on a daily basis and deserve to be recognized.

And that's what Jenny thinks.