Encouragement is a powerful healer. We have in our backyard a waterfall that flows between an upper and lower pool. I put a pump at the lowest point to maintain the circulation between the two pools, so that the waterfall keeps on flowing down its rock-laden pathway. But there’s a problem.

When I built the lower pool with rubber lining and rocks, I was not successful in sealing and making it leak-proof. From somewhere, there is a dribble of water which is constantly escaping. That’s why I have to keep a slow flow of water from the garden hose always refilling the pond. As long as the hose is running to keep the water in my ponds topped up, everything works just fine.

Most of us are like my lower pond — we leak. There is a constant dripping of emotional energy that seeps from our souls, and unless we are being regularly recharged, we will run out of the soul strength that is necessary to maintain both a healthy attitude and balanced behaviour.

I love the story of the famous composer-musician Ignace Paderewski. It took place in a huge, impressive concert hall; an evening of tuxedos and long formal gowns. A mother had brought her nine-year-old son to hear the immortal pianist and, hopefully, inspire him to practise his own piano more diligently.

As the mother was talking to her friends before the concert began, her fidgety son slipped away from her side and snuck up to the stool that sat before the shiny ebony Steinway piano on stage. No one noticed him at first but, as his boyish rendition of Chopsticks grew louder, the roar of the crowd was hushed and hundreds of frowning faces turned toward the stage.

“Get that boy away from the piano!”

“Who would bring a little kid to this kind of an evening?”

“Where is his mother?”

“Somebody stop him.”

His mom was aghast but backstage the master heard what was happening, grabbed his coat and hurried to the stage. Without a word of announcement, he stooped over behind the boy, reached around both sides of him and began to improvise a counter melody to harmonize with the boy’s rendition of Chopsticks.

As the two of them played, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy’s ears, “Keep going. Don’t quit. Keep on playing. Don’t stop. Don’t quit.”

That sounds like what God, our Shepherd, the ultimate encourager does to us, doesn’t it? “You’re doing great. Keep it up. Don’t quit.”

Sandhill cranes are awesome and beautiful creatures that fly hundreds of miles annually across our continent. As they migrate, the large birds use three notable leadership tactics: First, they rotate leadership — no one bird stays out front all the time. Second, they choose leaders that can handle turbulence. Finally, all during the time one bird is leading, the rest of the cranes constantly honk in encouragement and affirmation. “Keep going. You can make it. We’re right behind you.”

Barry Buzza (www.barrybuzza.com and http://barrybuzza.blogspot.com) is senior pastor at Northside church in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.