By Hannah Brzozowski
I remember being a little girl and hearing the phrase "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it!" It was definitely a scolding and if you ever had the phrase directed at you, then you know the instant stop in your tracks moment, the pit in your stomach and then the forced apology to whoever you were mean to.
Today, I'd like to attempt to redeem the phrase. Instead of if you don't have something nice to say.... What if, we did something totally crazy, and changed it to "If you have something nice to say, say it! I know that's ground breaking. *insert sarcasm here*
I'll be honest, I think unkind things more times than I'd like to admit. I think we all do. But, I think we all think good things about people more times than we admit too. Walk with me for a bit here. Imagine you just hung out with a good friend and you're driving home. You all of sudden think: "I'm so glad that 'so-and-so' is in my life." Do you text them when you get home and tell them that? Or do you let the fleeting thought go and think about what's on your to do list the next morning? Often times, I'll do the latter.
So often, I'm scared to tell people how I really feel about them. I'm scared to text "I'm so grateful for our friendship and for you listen to me for the past three hours. Thank you for being such an amazing friend." After reflecting a bit, I think it's because if I put myself out there, what if they don't reply something really nice in return. Worse yet, what if they don't respond at all and I'm just the "creep" who is too emotional or sentimental.
But if I can just speak truth to both of us right now, what if the opposite is true? What if that friend really needs to know how much they are loved? What if that friend is wondering if they're making any difference in this world? These questions could be answered by a simple text or phone call from you simply stating that you're grateful.
So today, right now even, I challenge you to text a friend that you've been thinking about texting or calling through this entire post. You know the one.
Finally, remember, if you have something nice to say, please say it!
"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."
1 Thessalonians 5:11