Do you remember?
The boy who laughed at you. The girl who told everyone who your crush was.
The kids who chose you last for teams. The teams you didn’t make.
The other, newer employee who got the promotion instead of you.
The other moms who tell you that your kid is the aggressive one at school.
The person you follow on social media who has a life you dream of while yours is falling apart.
Do you also remember the first boy who said you were pretty?
The first girl who said you were cute?
The first time you scored the winning point/goal?
The first promotion you got?
When your husband proposed? Your kid smiled at you the first time?
Life is full of difficulties, trials, hard times, and disappointments.
Life is also full of the best moments you could ever imagine, and times when you’re happier than you ever thought possible.
There are times when your best friend brings over coffee and a doughnut and sits down to talk and it’s exactly what you need in that moment. We can use our hardships to help others through theirs. There are a few specific things you can say to someone else that can change their day (and yours!) instantly…
“You’re wonderful” – We constantly hear about our shortcomings. Our spouse complains, our boss overlooks our extra effort, our parents rush out the door without praising us. What a precious blessing it would be to hear how exceptional we are!
“I as well” (“Me too”, “I know what you mean”, etc) – When going through a tough time it is such a great reminder that others have been where we are, right now. It’s a simple way of saying “I’ve been there but guess what? It gets better, I promise”.
“You’re in My Prayers” – There are times when there are truly no words. A sudden death, the end of a relationship, loss of a job…It can be reassuring to know something is interceding on your behalf.
“Come along” (“I’ll join you”, “I’ll share”, “Come on in”, etc) When we see someone in need we should immediately find a solution. It may not be the way they hoped, or what they planned, but when your day at the beach is ruined by rain, go tour the museum. When the juggler cancels your kid’s birthday, throw a dance party! When you run out of bread, make sandwiches on crackers! Make the most of your circumstances. No matter how big or small the problem.
“Come to my house” – inviting someone to our home is one of the most sacred gestures we can offer to make others feel welcome. There’s just something about curling up on a couch with a good movie, cup of coffee, glass of wine, piece of pie that feels comforting!
When we reach out to ease other’s discomfort, we often ease our own, too.
Be a blessing; a friend; a help, today.
*I read about this topic in a devotion by Lysa Terkeurst. While I have made this blog post my own and used my own words, it was inspired by her devotional, “Seeing Beautiful Again”