“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” There is some question as to who actually said that (most say Maya Angelou) but regardless, there is some truth to that statement.
Rewind…2 weeks ago.
It was my birthday and I did what most grown-ups do on their birthday – I went to work. I expected it to be like any other day…but it wasn’t.
I walked in and my cubicle was decorated with banners and birthday confetti on my desk. My friend, Sweena brought donuts and kolaches (because that just makes life better). All of my co-workers signed a card for me and a few even brought gifts. Not expected. Not needed but sincerely appreciated.
Rewind… 6 months ago.
My dad was in the hospital and I had been spending a lot of my time there. My friend (and fellow W&F leader, Vijoy) texted me and said she wanted to cook for us. The next day, my husband and I had a glorious tray of Shepherd’s Pie ready…with enough to spare. Not expected. I didn’t realize I needed it but I did. And it was very appreciated.
Rewind…4 years ago.
My husband & I were dealing with the sting of feeling unwanted in a particular circle. We were hesitant to step out again but we did thanks to friends and leaders who encouraged us and called out what they saw in us. Not expected but very needed…and appreciated.
I walked away from each of these situations remembering how I felt…and realizing that God was challenging me to do the same for someone else.
Matthew 7:12 (MSG) “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them…”.
How does that translate into our lives? It could mean a trip to the dollar store for birthday supplies for the office…or sending a restaurant gift card to someone who doesn’t have time to cook. It means we let people know that we see them…and more importantly, God sees them too.
They may not remember exactly what we said or did, but they will remember how we made them feel. And that really does make life better.
~Anu
*Featured photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
