By Debbie Christopher~~As part of Valentine’s Day, we can leave love notes on someone’s desk…or we can take notes on ways to ‘say’ I love you.
Yes, while listening to a recent presentation by a fellow-member of a networking, community-service organization, I labeled my notes, “Love Notes.’ Since it was February, the theme of our monthly luncheon/program was ‘Love’, and the speaker, a retired counselor, implemented insights from Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages series* for the workplace in order to encourage co-workers and employees.
Even though I am no longer an employer or an employee, there were some interesting points that I considered noteworthy as practical to ‘my world’, and I quickly jotted them down in my ‘notes journal’—from where many of my blog thoughts originate.
My goal today is to focus on one of these points, as this concept goes much further than communicating love and appreciation in the workplace. As we contemplate communicating love to others, we can see how this concept can extend to family and friends…and coworkers/employees---especially those with whom we desire to share Christ. I like to refer to this as ‘loving on’ others.
Obviously, it takes thought, time, and effort to love on others in such a way as to demonstrate our love and appreciation for them. Sometimes it is difficult to know just how to do that appropriately and effectively. Thus, the following point made it into my notes.
The speaker shared, “Taking time to ____________ (fill in the blank) speaks volumes."
I love this statement! Others notice when we have taken the time to say or do something special....just for them. What they remember is that we made an effort to 'make their day’ in a special way. Knowing what THAT special ‘thing’ is takes time and effort on our part…and they recognize that!
Taking time to ________ speaks volumes!
Under this same point, the speaker stated that since the goal of communicating supportive love and appreciation in the workplace is to encourage employees and coworkers to succeed, taking time to_____ becomes key.
In the same way, as committed followers of Christ, our goal is to see others succeed in their walk with Christ, which also includes that first step of coming to Christ as their Lord and Savior. Being intentional is key as we seek to communicate the love of Christ by our words and our actions.
In closing, I encourage you to take a minute to be reminded of the following passages about loving others: John 13:34; Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 1:22,.. and the entire book of 1John!
Take time to love on others…it speaks volumes!
~~Debbie.
Thanks, Brent!
*D. Chapman, Gary. The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. United Kingdom, Lulu.com, 2022.