Sunday Sentiments

 

What I have to say today isn’t new information – in the world or on this blog. But repetition matters, and I feel this is message worth repeating.

            This past week has been saturated with extra blessings, and I am so grateful for each one. Life over the past few months has not been difficult, and I don’t want to misrepresent and indicate that it was. But despite the many good things that have happened along the way, it’s been a challenging stretch for me, especially in my confidence. I started a new job in May, and as with any new job, there is so much to learn. I’ve thrown myself into it, working as hard as I know how to learn, but I wasn’t sure I was absorbing it as quickly as I should. As quickly as they might want me to, even.

            There have also been a lot of schedule adjustments for us. Even though I get to work remotely and that is a blessing, there are days that require travel or working late into the evening. The last time I had that as a regular part of my life was at WillowBridge, when Ryan also did the same thing at the same time. Now we work at different organizations, so our schedules don’t match.

            It’s not bad. It’s not wrong. It’s not even always hard. But it is different. It is an adjustment.

            And this week, I feel like a little floodgate of blessings just opened wide, and I’ve found myself affirmed in the very areas that felt like a struggle. I drank it in, not in a prideful way, but hopefully in a way that will spur me on to be even better in the work I do.

            It wasn’t lost on me that the majority of the affirming moments came in the form of friends simply sharing a word of encouragement here or there. It wasn’t like I won awards or finished a big assignment. I was just doing my little daily things with the same tenacity I always do them, but people paused to offer kind words.

            After my presentation at work on Wednesday, I found out one of my coworkers took time to text my boss to tell her what a great job I did. She didn't have to do that, but I appreciated that she did. My boss immediately texted me to tell me she heard great things coming out of the day and she was proud of me. She wouldn’t have had to do that, but she did.

            During our staff meeting on Thursday, a handful of my work friends sent me messages about my cute headband and said they hoped I was having a great week. They wouldn’t have had to pay a bit of attention to my little virtual meeting square, but they did, and I was grateful.

            Friday, one of the newer people on our team sent me an email telling me how much he enjoyed watching me interact in meetings and how he hopes to learn more from me about how I relate to people – in person and online. He would not have had to pause for that encouragement, but it boosted my day that he did.

            I sent messages of my own throughout the week: telling one of my work friends how adorable she looked in her new glasses, checking in on one of my team members who spoke at a retreat last weekend – just seeing how God worked, and thanking my very first ever steering committee for all they taught me about hope and perseverance during the time I worked with them.

            These words, friends, are so simple to share, but what a wildly lasting impact they can have! Say the words. If you think something kind about someone, go a step further and say the kindness out loud. Imagine if we all just kept pouring into one another like this…. what a powerful difference we could make in the hearts of those in our lives!

            We embark on a new month this week…oh how I hope you’ll take some of your “Thankful November” to thank others with words of encouragement!