Sometimes we underestimate how far a gentle word can travel, or how much someone might have needed the exact encouragement we almost didn’t send.
A few days ago, I was working even though I didn’t feel my best. I was wishing the clock moved faster so I could finish work soon. I was asking a unit to help me complete an inquiry when we realized the due date was much closer than we thought.
One teammate was brave enough to ask for an extension. He mentioned the holiday and family troubles, and I could tell that he was having a tough day too. So I sent him a simple email.
A few minutes later, he wrote back. He thanked me for the kind message. We’ve never met in person, but somehow, in the middle of a stressful workday, we managed to lift each other’s spirits.
We don’t always get to choose our circumstances, but we do get to choose how we show up in them. And when we extend our caring hearts, we help make the world feel a little lighter, and a little more manageable.
Maybe that’s the quiet ministry we’re called to in our everyday lives:
- To notice.
- To respond.
- To offer warmth where the world feels cold.
- To remind someone that they matter, even in the middle of a busy workday.
You never know whose day you might brighten with one small act of empathy. And you never know how that kindness might circle back and brighten your day too.
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