We are a homeschooling family, and something fun has happened the last two summers. We have used My Father’s World Curriculum since the beginning (seriously, it’s the best), and I’ve been able to to buy the curriculum used most years. For the last two years, I’ve purchased it from a family in Hawaii. Each summer when the big box of books and maps has arrived, there has been a special surprise inside as well, a hand lettered verse.
Isn’t it so beautiful? This is the elegantly handwritten verse that we received this year, and it was made by the daughter of the woman who sends me the curriculum. And so this very convicting verse sits on my desk and reminds me while I’m schooling the kids and when I walk by to encourage those in my life and really build them up.
Have you ever stopped to consider the power of words? Two of my favorite verses about the power of words are these:
Proverbs 16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
But now getting back to Encourage One Another And Build Each Other Up. I know that I so often fail at doing this enough. As a wife and mom and daughter and sister and neighbor and friend, I need to use my words as a tool. And this tool is a very powerful tool that can truly change someone’s life.
Who can I encourage today? Who can I build up? Please show me Lord. Small, simple ideas like these come to mind:
“I see you playing nicely with your brother. You are really growing into a godly young woman.”
“I love your beautiful pumpkins and mums. You really do a lot to make our neighborhood beautiful.”
“You’re really improving at math. I am so proud of you for memorizing your times tables.”
Or maybe we need to make a bigger act of encouragement and building up someone in our life. These ideas come to mind:
- Sending a letter to a parent or grandparent letting them know how precious they are.
- Emailing a pastor or teacher to let them know who they’ve changed my life.
- Writing a child a letter on their birthday specifically listing all of the growth I’ve seen this year.
I once read that Michelle Duggar, the mother of nineteen children, tries to give ten encouragements for every one correction to each of her children. What a wonderful formula! I hope to try that with people in my life.
Well, friend, I hope I’ve encouraged you to encourage others! Thank you for stopping by The Gingham Apron, and have a wonderful day!
