So often in our lives, we do not take the time to be kind, to tell others how very much they mean to us. We assume people know that we love and care about them. We get so busy in life that we do not stop to write a note or make a call. Nowadays, most things go through text or email. I know I used to write letters and send them off in “snail mail.” As I was thinking about a couple of people in my life that I genuinely love and appreciate this verse came to my mind.

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

What is a kindness you can do for someone? Often it is a task they need doing, or maybe a ride somewhere, the list can go on and on, but one of the easiest ways to show kindness is telling people how much they mean to you. Why wait? Why save it all for when they pass away?

We can feel tenderhearted toward someone, we can forgive them, we can do all kinds of things without their knowledge, but I truly feel that it is important to tell people how you feel. Don’t make them guess. I hate regret, I do. There are things I wish I had said to friends that are long gone, to my family members that have passed away.

Sometimes the kindest thing we can do for someone is telling them we care. Telling them the special qualities they have that bless us each time we are together. It could be what makes their day, the very thing they need at that moment in life.

I love when someone tells me that my friendship matters, or when they point out a characteristic I have that blesses them. I can get hard on myself always picking away at what I am not or what I think I am not according to what the world says I should be. My flaws are always evident to me, but when someone says a kind word it makes all of that fade away and at least for that moment I feel special. Having a moment where you feel special is sometimes what gets you through a hard time.

But each of us deep down wants to know we are more than what we do, don’t we? I don’t think it is pride or an overinflated ego that wants that, it is true friendship and appreciation that our souls need. I kid around and say that my grandmother thought I walked on water, she is the only one out there that ever did. However, I know that she knew my flaws, but she chose to build me up, tell me the qualities she saw in me that were special to her. It gave me confidence when I had none. Let me just say, I cannot walk on water!

Let me encourage you to be kind with your words, to tell others what they mean to you. Let your words build up instead of tearing down. They cannot know unless you tell them. Do not stand over a casket with regret. Be a friend or family member that uses kindness as your guide, speak into others lives and be the difference you want and need.

Maybe you need to send a card or make a call. I promise it is easy, it will only take a few seconds of your life and it may just be what the person on the other end needs to hear at that very moment in time.