You're Awesome!

I have been looking around me- my husband, children, friends, people I see occasionally but don't really know, strangers in cars that pass by, people in line with me at the store. What is going on in their head? Is there life as bad as their face looks? Are they having a hard time paying their bills? Do they REALLY know that Christ died for them and loves them SSSOOOO much?! How do I look to them? Am I shining God's love on my face or do I have a grimace? Are my interactions with them conveying self serving motives or a gentle spirit?

Everyone needs encouragement sometimes and to know that they are important.

Maybe it's just telling your spouse that you love them. Or giving your kids a "You did great at ---". (I'm not saying praise them for everything because then your praise can become meaningless.) Or telling someone thank you when you check out at a store. Or asking how they are and really listening. What about giving your friend a hug, just because! What about making a friend? It's amazing what just smiling at a person can do. The walls melt... and they may even smile back!

I am amazed at how many people say, "Hi, how are you?" when I'm alone and "Whoa, you got a handful!" when the kids are with me. But how many actually care how I am or the story of all of our kids?

I love to ask someone how they are and then listen. It's amazing how a near perfect stranger will open up and share details about their life that you otherwise never would have known, if you just stop and show that they matter. Do I need to know that a store manager is having car troubles? No. Was I expecting to hear about how a person is divorced and now living with their boyfriend? No. Does it take time to listen? Yes. But maybe, just maybe, I've shown these people a little bit of kindness and love just by listening.

I know that when I was able to sincerely thank Mr. J for a job he had done a lot of his frustration over Mr. M messing with his stuff evaporated. Maybe you have to be creative in your compliments- you ate your lunch so well, thank you for turning off the light, why don't you go in front of me (when in line at a store), thank you for choosing to not yell, I like the color of your eyes ... But each of us matter and it's important to let others know that they matter because maybe they haven't found the hope of heaven yet.

Galations 5: 22-23 and 25-26 (The Message)
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely....
Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

So in case you haven't heard it lately, you're awesome, you read this far!