Coffee Date- Encouragement

Join me for a little chat this morning over coffee--or your drink of choice. It is Friday, so that may be wine!

{Via}

I have to tell you all--it has been a LONG week! My dog Geno is in the animal hospital (but expected to make a full recovery!), my grandfather isn't doing well, my dad backed into my car, and my nerves are just plain shot.

But this post is not a sob story or a pity party! This is about the kindness of others, and how people have truly inspired me, and taught me lessons that I want to put into practice going forward.

I tend to be an anxious person--OK that is probably an understatement--and when I am anxious, I am focused all on myself, all the time. I worry about myself, my needs, my problems, my life  (none of which are never all that bad!). What I have come to realize these past couple months though is that everyone has problems, day to day, things on their mind and worries of their own. However, some people still stop what their doing, take time out of their busy day, and make me feel loved and special.

They simply send a text to see how I am doing. They send a "Get Well" card. They send a gift card for doing them a small favor. On Christmas they bake cookies for me and on my birthday they get me a cake. Its things like this that people DON'T have to do, but choose too, that can make a person feel so loved.

I want to be better at this. I want to look outside of my own world and look for ways to be an encouragement. To show people the love of God through me. This world can be a dark place, but there is so much light and goodness through Jesus, and people truly can see that through your actions.

1 Peter 4:8-10

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace"

So I am challenging myself--and you as well--to find ways this month to be an encouragement to others. I want us to show the people around us their value and worth. That they are special and wanted. I promise it will make their day, and that you and I will also reap the benefits of using our God given gift of encouragement in the way He intended it. We need to build each other up everyday and I think we will see a world of difference in our own lives and well as the lives of the ones we love.

So for all my friends and family out there who, over the years, have made my days better, my long nights shorter, and my life a brighter sunny place--I want to THANK YOU--from the bottom of my heart. Actions, big and small, have not gone unnoticed and have always made a world of difference in my life!

This is what I look like drinking coffee at 8 a.m.--I already need a nap!

Hope this gives you all some food for thought on this Friday--and have a FABULOUS weekend :)

Linked with:
What I'm Loving Friday's, Friday's Fab Favorites, That Friday Blog Hop, Favorite Fashion Friday, Friday Fashion Diaries