November 20, 2006

  • Writings on the wall

    Sam again left for another trip early this morning, but before he went, he left some writing on the wall for me, which I discovered after he had gone:

    writingmirroronwall2

      

    Affirmations.  Everybody loves affirmations.  Too bad we don't live in a culture that fosters friends freely giving them.  I have, however, seen several examples of exceptions. 

    A few years ago, shortly after one of my best friends got married, I stayed over at their house.  Upon opening their medicine cabinet to get some toothpaste that evening, I discovered little post-it notes that she had written to him and he had written to her (on separate occasions) - just short and simple phrases like "I love you" and "You are my sweetie."  They were stuck onto ordinary household items as surprises, I assume, making them not-so-ordinary in so many ways.  It made me smile.  What a great way to love each other!

    A year or two after that time, when I was called to lead some summer mission teams, I decided to employ this method of communicating love by giving each of my team members a pad of post-it notes.  The assignment?  Try to "get rid of" as many post-its as you can by leaving notes in random places for your teammates to affirm them for who they are.  The result?  A culture of affirmation.  I can't think of one person who wasn't delighted to open their Bible or the door to their room or their bedside drawer to find a note.

    Around this same time, I would occasionally hang out at some college friends' apartment.  When I used their bathroom, I would often see cute notes that they would write for each other on their bathroom mirror with dry-erase markers.  Funny jokes and comments and other words which undoubtedly conveyed their appreciation of one another as roommates and friends.  I also saw this same kind of mirror-writing on another best-friend married couples' mirror too.  I thought to myself, what a great idea!  I want to do that the next time I have a roommate... 

    The next time I had a roommate was Sam!  And so it is that at our house, we want to create the kind of culture where we are constantly trying to out-do each other with affirmation, love and servanthood.  "Out-do", yes, out-do.  Sounds a teeny-bit competitive, doesn't it?  Well, perhaps it is.  But whoever said competition was harmful never knew about a competition like this.  I dare you to try it too - with your friends, roommates, family, spouse - just to see what happens.

Comments (6)

  • I like this idea, too! ^_^

  • i totally agree with you!

  • I heard about this idea from an elderly couple and they had been doing it for years. I thought it was cute but at the same time, very encouraging. But of course, it will be very rewarding when it's reciprocal. I remember doing it to a friend and hardly got any notes back.

    Soo sweet to hear that you are using this idea!

  • thanks for sharing this great idea. it's amazing how little notes can provide such encouragement :) when i was visiting, i found out that my cousin and her husband do the same thing!

  • oh man, awesome awesome. dude i am trying to make the words out - please give a transcription! haha jk only if you want to. :)

  • go for the gold! romans 12:10 ESV, baby!

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