I was talking with one of my teachers yesterday afternoon after classes were over. We were just catching up really. Things are always so nuts on Tuesdays that it is something that neither one of us get to do very often. I would like to first that we have a lot of great teachers...all of our teachers actually. Some I know better than others. This particular teacher I have known since we started homeschooling and I absolutely adore her. She is an inspiration as a homeschooling mom. She has two grown children that are amazing! She has been teaching with us for a very long time and she truly is one that loves to teach.
Many, many years ago she had gotten a complaint and it effected her so deeply that she did not teach the following year. It is amazing what that can do to someone. Those types of things can...sometimes...truly shake someone that has a heart for what they are doing...and what they feel God has called them to do. It hurts your heart to hear those things.
She went on to say how over the years she had kept cards from her students. Most of the time a teacher just gets a card that says "love so and so"...but occasionally they get a heart felt note expressing deep appreciation for their investment in that student's life. A thank you note! She told me how she will look through those from time to time and how good they make her feel. How special those cards are to her. What an awesome feeling that must be to know that you impacted someone in a special way. That impact could be a year of teaching, an incident of extended grace, a shoulder to cry on, or any number of things.
Not all "incidents" need to be extensive or "life changing"...and it doesn't have to be a teacher either. It could be anything, or anyone, that had an impact on you in a positive way. A waiter that is super patient with your two year old. Someone offers you a job when you are down on your luck. It can be as simple as someone being kind to you. I could truly go on all day...but I think you get the point.
Too often we are wired to only comment or send an email when we are NOT happy. Why? Why not use our words for good. Why not use our words to lift up...instead of tearing down. (I'll come back to this in a moment.)
Now don't get me wrong, sometimes there is a need for constructive criticism. But shouldn't we make sure we handle those situations the way God would want us to...and let's be honest...in an ethical manner?
I will be the first to admit...I am not the greatest at this either...I am not a fan of conflict. Sometimes things in life can be a huge misunderstanding...and your conversation could be all that is needed to clear up that misunderstanding. You don't know what kind of day that person was having...and they don't know what kind of day you were having.
So now to the point...say thank ...to someone that matters! Aren't we always teaching our kids to say thank you! You never know what an impact your "thank you" will have. Say it to the person! Say it to their boss! And say it to their boss's boss! haha! What if your waiter did 100 good things and only 1 bad (or perceived bad...because there are ALWAYS two sides to EVERY story). That one "bad" thing may be the only thing his boss hears about. Let's use our words to encourage and lift up others.
I am encouraging you today to tell someone when they have done a good job. I am encouraging you to write a thank you note to someone that has been a shoulder to cry on if they caught you in a "moment". Your friends are supposed to be there for you...the Lowe's guy...not so much! :) Tell Bob's boss how appreciative you are that Bob at Lowe's didn't freak out when you started crying on him....or how he played with your two year old why helping you pick out the perfect toilet seat. That might be the only thank you that Bob gets in his "file". Or heck send Bob a thank you note too so when someone loses it on him one day he can go to his locker and read your heart felt thank you note and remember what a good guy he is. Anyone that has helped you in any way! Even if you think it is insignificant to them. Even if it was a year ago. I plan on being better at this! I hope you will too!
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