Today’s lesson is about appreciation and those little acts that make it all worth it.

Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t always have the right words, but I  try to have the right intent. This weekend was no exception. I was talking to an African-American man on Saturday about the Black Panther movie. How I enjoyed it and how then I said forgive me if I use the wrong words, the directors made a good superhero movie that happened to have a Black man in the lead (not to mention 99% of the cast African or African American) and not just a Black Movie. Then we discussed the show Black Lightening and how it is a Black show with a black hero. After the conversation I thought, was I being offensive? Was I being racist? I emailed him about it and apologized if I offended him. He responded that I didn’t offend him at all and that the movie transcended culture. Then he ended the email with “I appreciate you”.

That stopped me in my tracks. Took my breath away. And made me realize how powerful appreciate is, especially in situations that can be dicey.

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:10

“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” – Ruth 2:12

God loves us. He wants us to be devoted in love to each other. We can show that by appreciating everyone for those little things they do. How they enrich our lives. As in Ruth, we are and will be richly rewarded for what we have done through Christ. Sharing that love can be a simple gesture from you, but radically alter someone’s day for the better.

Are you ready to show appreciation for others? Are you willing to take a couple minutes out of your day to thank someone, genuinely and sincerely for how they improve your life and the lives of others?

I am

#51of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney

P.S. If you haven’t seen Black Panther yet, go see it. It’s a great fun movie.