Cheer Squad

One of my daughters recently finished a long month of “musical.”  She had practices every night after school until 8:00 or 9:00pm. Then she had four days of performing the show. Lots of emotions at the end as it was the last time most would perform together and they were a “family.”

I tried to cheer my daughter.

My husband came home from a long week of travel. Several issues were pressing on him and weighing him down.

I tried to cheer him.

Two family members. One a teenager. One a spouse. Both exhausted and run down. Both needed a cheerleader.

Enter, me.

Me, the optimist.

Me, the problem solver.

Me, the cheerleader.

But being the cheerleader doesn’t mean I agree with their feelings and emotions.  Sometimes being the cheerleader means saying, “Go to bed!”

Sometimes being the cheerleader means asking, “When was the last time you listened to uplifting music instead of the news or music that doesn’t calm your spirit? ”

Sometimes being the cheerleader means prompting, “Who is around you that speaks life to you? It can’t always be me. You need others to speak LIFE to you.”

Have you ever seen just one cheerleader in front of the crowd leading the cheers?

No. There is a whole squad of cheerleaders! One cheerleader would not be effective. One cheerleader could not cheer loud enough or be seen by the fans. One cheerleader cannot do formations, tosses or lifts that thrill the crowd.

We can’t have only one cheerleader in our lives. We need a squad!

If you only have one cheerleader in your life, you need more!  If your spouse or mom or dad or best friend or any other one person is the only one that speaks life to you, you are in trouble.

You need other cheerleaders. You need a squad.

I have a cheer squad. And the members of my squad don’t even know they are on a squad. In fact, until recently, two of my squad members for the past twenty plus years did not even know each other. But they have been cheering me on for years! Without them, I would have lost perspective. Lost hope. Lost the ability to see the positive.

Squads.

There is protection in numbers.

There is promise in numbers.

There is perspective in numbers.

If we are not on a squad, we can easily become isolated and that is dangerous.

You need cheering as you play this game of life. You need a squad.

How do you get a squad? Join a church. Join a group within your church. Attend a Bible study. Find life-giving people and “hang out” with them.

Now, go to bed.

“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love
and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each
other on…” Hebrews 10:25 Msg