What You Miss When You Keep It to Yourself

Car Window Poetry isn’t my full-time job.

In addition to all the fun things I get to do with Car Window Poetry, I serve on Young Life staff overseeing the organization’s brand direction on our mission-wide social media channels.

This past week, I got to join 800+ Young Life staff in Destin, Florida, for our annual New Staff and Winter Training. Most of the staff participating in this training were in their first three years of being on Young Life staff. Many arrived feeling in over their heads, wondering how they’d ever be able to live up to such a high calling.

During one of our early-morning lead team meetings, I heard a story from one of the small group leaders that struck me in a powerful way. She shared how she had a first-year staff woman in her small group who spent most of the week feeling overwhelmed, inadequate, and unfit for the role she had recently stepped into.

This staff woman was sitting in a daily training session when she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was one of Young Life’s senior executives. He didn’t say anything; he just handed her a piece of paper.

I don’t remember exactly what the piece of paper said, but this staff member ended up receiving words she absolutely needed to hear:

You matter.

Your work matters.

You’re not alone.

You belong here.

You’re right where you need to be.

I love this story because it’s difficult to know the fullness of what those around us are going through. But as one of my favorite quotes says, “Be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

How different would life be if we lived with this understanding? What wonders would we witness if, instead of sticking to the norm and keeping it to ourselves, we shared the goodness we believe people need to hear?

Words matter. And they’re free to give.

You don’t have to say a lot in order for it to mean a lot.

A little acknowledgement goes a long way.

With love,