“I appreciate you
.”
So many, many people rarely, if ever, hear these words, “I appreciate you.”
These are three words that people never get tired of hearing.
In the absence of these words, many people feel unappreciated, devalued, and taken for granted.
One of the best encouragers I know is Jerry Rushford, who for 30 years has been the director of the Pepperdine Lectures (thousands of people on campus for classes, worship, conversation, etc). Each year he publicly praises missionaries from faraway places throughout the world. Or, he might recognize people who have served in ministries for decades. This is so important and encouraging.
Recently, I was on a retreat where a friend/longtime minister prayed for me specifically. We were in a group of about 15 people and he prayed a prayer of blessing. He prayed in such detail that I was very moved by this moment. A part of what made this moment so moving for me was that he communicated value, worth, and genuine appreciation.
You can communicate value to someone in a variety of ways:
1. You can tell someone how valuable they are to you as a friend or as a co-worker.
2. You can “catch them” doing something right and bring it to their attention.
3. You can praise their work before others.
4. You can listen — genuinely listen — to their thoughts and ideas.
5. You can send a note, card, e-mail, text, or any other kind of communication to communicate value.
Question:
What else would you add to this list? How has someone communicated value to you?