Inside: Sad news hammers home the importance of being generous with our words of affection. ~
When you come back from a blogging break, you can bring your readers up to speed on what you’ve been doing while you’ve been away.
Or you can start where you are right now.
I am planning to do the former soon. But the latter is on my heart today.
Sad News
Last week, Randy and I learned that our financial advisor had passed away unexpectedly. He leaves behind a wife and several young children. It was shocking news, sad on so many levels.
I can’t get past the suddenness. Maybe this is because of what happened to me earlier this year. In late March, I was out riding my bike when I was hit in a crosswalk by a car driver who ran a red light.
As I’ve shared before, I have no recollection of the accident, or of the next several days. I could have died, and I wouldn’t have known any different.
For the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Whatever that entails, that would have happened to me. I would have been OK.
Even So …
Thankful doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about being alive, surrounded and supported by the love of family and friends.
My body is healing and my life has slowly returned to some semblance of normal. But the new normal is a bit different.
When driving, for example, I wait a little longer when a red light turns green. Instead of just following the traffic signal, I look left and right to make double sure nobody is coming.
I’m not obsessive about defensive driving, but I am more defensive. I don’t want to get blindsided again.
It could happen, though. To any of us, at any time.
As a Result …
I have a heightened awareness of the importance of making sure the people in my life know that I love them. That I’m proud of them. That I’m thankful for them and pray for them.
I don’t know what this should look like in every case, but I want to be generous with my words of affection, gratitude and encouragement.
Different people have different needs. Words of affirmation aren’t as important to some. But even they need to know how we feel about them, regularly.
Our words of love, statements of affection and personalized bits of encouragement can’t eliminate problems, alleviate suffering or make grief disappear. But they do count for something.
Maybe more than we think.
• • •
Next week, I hope to share some thoughts about life away from blogging and what I’ve been learning in this unexpected season. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. Please share a summer highlight, or perhaps tell what being generous with your words means to you these days.
Whether you comment or not, I am grateful that you’re here.
♥ Lois
These days, I have a heightened awareness of the importance of making sure the people in my life know that I love them. That I’m proud of them. That I’m thankful for them and pray for them. Share on X Different people have different needs. Words of affirmation aren’t as important to some. But even they need to know how we feel about them, regularly. Share on XP.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.