I am so glad that my spiritual gift is encouragement.  It is such a fun gift!

I love targeting a friend and sending an email full of the things I like about him or her.  I systematically go through my phone to send encouraging texts– just a little 140-word pop! of joy or gratitude, or something to make a friend laugh.  I do this on Facebook too sometimes– click on “Friends” and write on the first dozen or so people’s walls with just a little something.

I try to do this for strangers too– you never know when it might make their day.  I compliment strangers in the hallway and send “WOW” messages to Etsy artists I will never, ever meet.  If I am on a website that I like, I’ll take the extra couple seconds to email the site owner.

The reason for this post is not to praise myself– but to share how much joy this gives me.  I am so grateful to God for giving me such a fun and delightful and life-giving challenge to make people understand how loved they are– how beautiful– how talented.  I never have to lie or invent a reason to encourage someone– there is so much to love in each person.

I also love to buy gifts for people– some fun little present, a scarf they’ve admired or a book I know they will love– but my main gift is words.  They matter so much, and anytime I toss a line of Truth into the darkness, I am reminded just how much words shine.