I have been called an angel at least three times in my life. The first occasion was at a parent-teacher conference. A classroom teacher and I were talking with the father of one of my English language learners. The father was soft-spoken and respectful, expressing his deep gratitude for our work with his child. Then he said, “We have a word for you in the Korean language: you are like a god or an angel.” We were stunned with this description but felt truly honored by his tremendous, genuine compliment.
Another time I had introduced myself and offered some help to a woman sitting near me in church. She appeared to be alone and I wondered if she had any family. After a brief conversation, I gave her my phone number and email address. About two weeks later, I received an email from her. The subject line was: “my angel.” The woman had been looking and praying for direction in her life. My availability in friendship and practical support, and the timing of it, seemed miraculous to her. There’s much more to that story but that will be another blog post later.
Lastly, a friend gave me a mug with the quote, “Friends are angels following you through life.” This one is a bit of a stretch, yet I keep that mug at work and those words have often encouraged me and reminded me of my good friend and her amazing life.
Words hold immense power. They can hurt or heal; build up or crush. Encouraging words don’t come naturally to me but many times I have been blessed by the kind and edifying words of others. So it is that “Gentle words are a tree of life” and “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the bones.” (Proverbs 15:4 and Proverbs 16:24) “Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Thank you, Brenda! Our words hold power to hurt, heal or help. I need lots of reminders to think before I speak and to then speak life giving words to those around me. You surely have done this and this encourages me. Taking time to listen is also so important.