Encouragement

Encouragement is a blessing. In this age of Twitter and Facebook, a handwritten letter is a treasure chest full of gold that fills the emotional bank of our hearts.

Yesterday, I opened a letter addressed to Athentikos from Pennsylvania. We typically don’t receive much mail from people, so this was already a unique experience. Inside the envelope was a check and a handwritten letter that read:

“Dear Mr. and Mrs. Moore,

I viewed your documentary, Reparando, last evening on Hulu Plus and was moved by the conditions depicted in it and the work being done to address them. Praise God! Enclosed is a gift of $25, which I will send each month for the next year…”

I was unprepared for this encouragement, and my eyes filled with tears. The emotional bank of my heart has long been overdrawn after investing myself in Becoming Fools—a worthy but underfunded project that has required a personal investment from me for the last three years. To be honest, at this point in production, it’s easy to get discouraged and feel as though the last three years have been a waste of time. It feels like we’ve put something on layaway, making payments every month, but we’ll never get to bring it home.

Three years is a long time, especially in an age when we receive instant feedback. We can drive to a fast-food window and get food in seconds. We can instantly watch any one of thousands of movies or TV shows, and if we don’t like one, we can quickly switch to another. It’s easy to forget why we do what we do when we focus solely on finishing tasks, particularly when we become insulated and isolated from our original motivations.

We produced Becoming Fools to share it with an audience—not for the sake of receiving praise, but to inspire others to make a difference in the lives of at-risk youth.

I am grateful for this letter of encouragement. It highlights the power of storytelling, underscores the importance of our mission, and reminds me that our efforts are not in vain. This individual has fueled our spirits with encouraging words and financial support, helping us amplify authenticity and extend the mission of other organizations serving those in need worldwide. The irony is that this person felt moved to encourage us after watching Reparando on Hulu—a film we released three years ago, the same duration we have invested in Becoming Fools. Perhaps three years isn’t such a long investment when we consider that stories can be passed down through generations, yielding a return greater than we can ever fully comprehend. It is worth it.