Shoulders

It had been a long day. A fussy baby, a messy house, an inadequate income, a sick husband, and a late bedtime. I remember lying in bed that night and just wanting to cry. I knew that my petty problems were nothing in comparison to some that others face, but I just felt so overwhelmed.

I got out of bed and walked down the hall, stepping over a burp cloth in the living room. I sat down at the computer and opened my dashboard. My husband and baby were sleeping soundly, and for some reason I felt like I needed to "check" as I've come to call it.

My husband always knows what I'm talking about.

Normally, I'm not a midnight surfer, but something was drawing me to the computer. I had been blogging only a few weeks, and my followers were few, but faithful. I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling I got when I sat down and saw that I had...

Thirteen comments?!

That was more comments than I had followers!

As I read them all, I realized that they were all from the same person, a dear sweet friend who had been away and was catching up on my blog. Tears filled my eyes as I read "lol" and "that was beautiful". I don't think my friend had any idea what she was doing when she clicked her way over to my blog. She didn't know what I was facing. She didn't know how she was helping me. She had no idea how much I needed it.

Do you know what you have done by simply following this blog?

You have proven that you have a desire in your heart to be an encouragement to others.

This blog is about giving others that same feeling that I experienced (and I hope you have as well, though perhaps not in the same way) only amplified to the extreme. The ones we will read about here will be facing discouraging situations of varied degree, and we are asked to comment.

Not follow.

Not pray. (More on this later.)

Not even give them a second thought.

Only comment.

On every post.

We may not agree with everything in their blogs. We may not feel that they are handling their situation correctly. We may not feel that they were worthy candidates for being featured here.

But we will still comment.

Because that's what we have agreed to do. That's what we have been called to do.

If you want to follow, that's great. If you want to pray, that's definitely encouraged (though we ask that if you say you'll be praying, that you keep your word). If you give them a second thought, that just goes to show how caring you are.

Their situations will be on both ends of the spectrum. Some may be dealing with the death of a loved one or the death of a marriage. Others may be dealing with a series of little circumstances that have forced them into a corner, making them feel defeated.

We'll give you a little background information on the bloggers, and then tell you about what they're going through. We'll give you a link to their blog, and then it's up to you to go to their blog and comment (not here!).

Already, the submissions are coming in. Already, there are people in que to be bombarded with strangers who have entered their little world to give them a smile. Already, you are destined to be a blessing.

I look forward to making this journey with all of you, and I am grateful that you have found it in your hearts to be a part of this.

I am acting in faith with the operation here, and I am praying and hoping that everything will fall into place as God wills. I'm not quite sure how everything will work. I'm just praying that it does! If you have any questions or nominations, please let me know.

jaredandalexis@gmail.com

I would like to ask as we prepare to begin this blog that you would let all of your own followers know about Shoulders. I am truly humbled by the number of followers that we have already, especially with this being the very first post, but if we could multiply that number, we will multiply the encouragement that our featured bloggers will receive. We will multiply our effectiveness. We will multiply our mission.

Thank you for joining in with me in this work that I truly believe God will bless and work mightily through. I am honored and humbled to be among you.