What People Need . . .

Love. Forgiveness. Encouragement.

There’s so much sadness, so much sorrow. There’s so much controversy, so much contention.

In all the noise of news reports and journalism and everything social media, there are hard things. And so much rawness in all the words. And in so many ways we speak to and treat others.

What people need most to cover all this rawness is the softness of words of love and forgiveness and encouragement. How we speak, how we treat others – it matters. In all relationships.

In this softness, we become stronger.

That’s what people need most — words that make them stronger. We can overcome the noise, the loud. We can choose how we treat others; we can choose words that encourage, words that build up, and words that bring together.

Our words can either bring together or tear apart, and here in this space, and on this Facebook Page, I want to purpose my words for bringing together. For building up. Words that point the way to what people need:  Love. Forgiveness. Encouragement.

Let’s start thinking more about how we speak, how we treat people … in all our encounters, in all our relationships:

…forgiving others and moving forward

…showing kindness and respect to others

…accepting others just the way they are

…encouraging others and cheering for them

…doing something little (or big) for others every day

…letting love be our compass

So here are my soft strong words for April, my thoughts, the tweets, which were liked and an echo of those things that people need most…..

• The strongest, healthiest relationships are made up of two forgivers.
• Let’s tip the scale to being more positive, more encouraging, more loving.
• Thinking good thoughts about someone isn’t enough. We need to say the encouraging words.
• You will be amazed how much of a difference you can make by just smiling every time you talk to someone.
• Choose encouragement, lifting others up, not putting them down.
• Let’s offer friendships that are generous and forgiving and guilt-free.
• Treat all the people you meet that there is something worthwhile in them.
• Let’s allow God’s goodness to flow through us and nourish all who cross our paths. ‪
• Love the hard people, at the hardest times, in the kindest ways.
• The gift of pure love allows us to bless others and accept them without condition. ‪

• Let our love for others be sincere and active, without hypocrisy.‪
• Make intentional time to tell others specifically how they bless you.
• Let’s be less judgmental and cultivate a sense of wonder at each person’s uniqueness. We’re all a wee bit crazy in our own way. ‪
• There is powerful freedom in admitting our weakness because it allows others to love us as we truly are.
• Make allowances for and be patient with each other, and forgive without punishing.

• We can either harm by the selfishness of our silence or diminished praise, or we can heal by the selflessness of our encouraging words.
• Today give others precisely what you may think they deserve least. Grace.
• If you really fulfill this royal law: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you’re doing well.
• The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
• Let our gratitude be awakened; let our love be quickened.‪
• We all need to learn to communicate without blaming.

Above all, let’s keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ‪