The Michel household has had our share of pets. Over the years, fish, hermit crabs, rabbits, cats and dogs have been part of our family, but our oldest, and now only pet, is Gucci the maltipoo.

Gucci was discovered through an Internet search by our then third-grader Victoria.

The puppy was purchased to replace Cayenne, the Australian shepherd who had outgrown our yard. (By the way, do not ever give away a pet while your child is at school and without her knowledge. She will never forget it. Not even when she is a college junior.)

Now 12 years old, Gucci isn’t able to run up the stairs as quickly as she once did, nor can she jump up onto the sofa. It’s OK.

We help her get to where she needs to go.

Often, when I see Gucci seated in a place I know she couldn’t jump, I think of a story told by Dr. Robert Lamont, a Presbyterian pastor who felt incredibly blessed by God.

“When I was a schoolboy,” Lamont said, “we would occasionally see a turtle on a fence post, and when we did, we knew someone had put him there. He didn’t get there by himself. That is how I see my own life. I’m a turtle on a fence post.”

Has anyone helped you get to where you are today?

Is there someone who you can consistently count on for support?

Who are your encouragers?

Today would be a great day to pick up the phone, or better yet, write a note thanking them for the role they have played in your life.

If you can’t think of anyone who has spoken strength and courage into your life lately, I have another question. Have you encouraged yourself?

In the Bible, David did. While he and his men were out fighting, the Amalekites looted their homes, burned their village and took their wives and children captive.

Upon their discovery, the men wept until they had no more strength, then talked of stoning David.

On what was clearly not his best day, what did David do? 1 Samuel 30:6 continues the story, “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

When he had no one else to turn to, he turned to God and found strength.

David led his men to find what had been stolen. They fought the enemy and recovered everything that had been stolen and every wife and child.

It’s no surprise that David later wrote in Psalm 138:3, “In the day when I cried you answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul.”

So one more question I promise will be the last. Whether you are surrounded by an immense support system or alone and encouraging yourself, who is the one person right now that you can call and encourage?

Ronny Michel may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.