Encouragement. We all know what it is and we have likely been the recipient of it at some point or another in our lives. Well I would hope so at least. I would also hope that at some point in your life you have been the giver of encouragement.
Encouragement can come in all shapes and sizes. Lots of words or just a few. Comments to a stranger or someone you have known your whole life. It really has very little boundary or requirement in how you do it or what it looks or sounds like.
Just being an encourager can be oh so fulfilling.
There are different aspects of our lives where we shouldn’t rely on our feelings too much but I want you imagine or remember what feelings you might have had or would have if someone said something positive or supportive or kind to you.
How would that make you feel? It doesn’t need to be a grand, long-winded speech about every little aspect of who you are. It could just be a small comment about how someone really appreciates how you are a great listener. Or how you went out of your way to take a few extra minutes to speak to them or did something that was an inconvenience for you just to be kind to them. Or they know you are working hard to accomplish something and they see improvement.
Or what about if someone shoots you a quick text or DM and tells you they are proud of you for something that took courage or something that you were nervous about. One quick moment for someone else to write that message could impact your whole day. It could change it from bad to good.
Quite honestly there is no manual on how to encourage someone else, since there are endless possibilities and it will look different for each situation and for each person. The encouragement could come in great, big public displays or small, intimate one on one interactions. It really doesn’t matter.
There are different positive side effects to giving encouragement and also to receiving it. But both are just so good.
How great does it feel inside to have someone who could even be a stranger positively comment on something that you might consider small or unnoticable to others? It can feel so good that someone else saw something that small or what you consider insignificant and thought it important enough to say something about. How would that make you feel?
I recently decided I would take a few moments and say some positive things to someone I don’t know too well yet and have only know about a year. I had noticed one or two things and thought that if my comments could be helpful or encouraging I would do it. I crossed paths with him a couple weeks ago and I mentioned that I could see that he had natural talent with a specific skill. But that I had noticed that he had also been working on improving that skill and it was obvious that he was working on it and I could see the improvement. The big grin on his face after I said these things to him was absolutely worth it.
It was one small thing I commented on, but maybe that was something that he was putting a lot of time into getting better at and didn’t think anyone would notice. I am continuing to see improvement from him regarding this specific thing.
A few comments that took me a minute or two could have completely changed his day. I don’t know that, and I don’t really need to know that but if it did, it was completely worth it.
Now being an encourager can be easier when you know the person and are in a positive place with them. But what about if you don’t really like someone or have had a disagreement with them or are just not too fond of them? It would probably be much harder to do then, right?
Yes of course. But maybe those instances could be the right opportunity to speak words of encouragement. It would have to depend on the situation, but think about how that could change the whole tone of the conversation or relationship. Hopefully for the better.
It would absolutely be much harder to say something encouraging or positive in those moments but the payoff might make it all worth it.
What about if you are the one receiving encouragement? Someone said something to you that impacted you. What do you say back? Sometimes we can be very shocked and maybe don’t say too much. Think about how encouraging it would be if the receiver could flip the script and encourage the person who encouraged them by sharing just how much their encouragement meant to them and why. It doesn’t need to be a one-way street. Obviously that might not happen every time and it doesn’t need to, but having it go back and forth would be great.
Yes I am old enough to have been alive before email came around or at least became popular. Meaning I grew up writing letters. Sitting hunched over beside a dim candle using my quill and ink on parchment paper. Ha ha. Some days I feel that old but no honestly I grew up with proper writing paper and bic pens and electricity. How old do you think I am??
Since I grew up writing letters I still really enjoy sending cards to people. I don’t write letters anymore because emails are just too convenient. But I love sending cards to people because in one small folded piece of cardstock I can show someone I thought of them enough to practice my cursive writing in putting pen to paper and mail them a card. Even birthday cards are fun to send in the mail.
I love sending cards and would love to do it much more often. For so many people in our lives we just don’t even know their mailing addresses. Make it much more complicated.
If you received a card in the mail you might have many thoughts go through your mind, but one of those thoughts I would hope would be gratitude. At least if it’s a card from me. I don’t know about anyone else. Just kidding. I try to use every card I send as an opportunity to encourage those receiving it.
So friend I am going to give you homework. Yes homework. You thought you left that behind in school. Oh no you didn’t. I encourage you to go out this week and encourage 2 separate people each day. How you do it, or what you say will be up to you. I would just like to challenge you to do it.
Dear friend, as always I am praying for you as you think about what I have said and how that can impact your life and impact the lives of those you cross paths with or live life with. I absolutely don’t have any of this figured out at all so we are working on this together. I am challenging myself the same way I am challenging you.
If you do take up this challenge I would love to hear how it goes. Please comment in the post below or send me an email or comment on social media.
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Melodee Glassford 