Believe in Me

Cheryl and I recently watched a movie that made a pretty big impression on me. It's called Front of the Class. The movie tells the story of a man named Brad Cohen who pursues his dream to become a teacher despite his battle with Tourette's Syndrome. While it was inspiring to hear the story of a man who overcame such amazing obstacles in his life, I was especially impacted by the people who never gave up on him.

Brad's biggest supporter was his mom. Even when ignorant people thought he was acting out, she believed him when he told her he could not help it. She fought hard and eventually found a doctor who diagnosed him. There were others along the way who supported him as well, particularly his brother and a college girlfriend who would later turn out to be his wife.

As you can imagine, Brad had people who rejected him along the way. In fact, there were many who thought he would never succeed. But Brad's drive to win remained strong because he refused to listen to the naysayers. Instead, he was fueled by the encouragement of a few.

Brad's story really got me thinking about my own life. I certainly don't have a handicap like he has, but I see some other parallels. As I think back, there have been a number of people who did not care if I succeeded or not. Some even openly expressed their lack of faith in me. But like Brad, I have had a handful of people in my life who have believed in me. On many occasions, they have brought encouragement into my life at just the right time and their confidence in me has made all the difference.

Who are you listening to as you seek to fulfill God's fullest potential for your life? Are you getting bogged down by the pessimists and those who are waiting for you to fail? Find someone who believes in you and let their faith empower you to keep moving forward. Oh, and one more thing! Pass on what you've been given. There is a "Brad" out there who needs you to believe in him as well.

Remember, just one voice of encouragement can drown out a multitude of doubters!