I heard a story like that this week from Christian comedian Mike Williams. Williams was the featured speaker at the Friends of Life banquet benefiting Haven Health Clinic for Women in my hometown.
Mike describes himself as someone who was "rescued." Born to a woman who could not take care of him, and with no father in the picture, Mike's biological mother wanted something better for her son. So, she reached out to the only positive influence in her life – the man who delivered her mail.
In telling his life story, Mike recounted that his mother hand-picked the family she wanted to adopt her son. She chose her mailman because, he learned she had said, he was the only Christian she had ever met.
Each weekday, whenever the mailman delivered the mail to her apartment building, he would ring her doorbell and hand-deliver the mail to her, ending each encounter with, "God loves you."
God loves you. Three words. That's it. God. Loves. You.
We take salutations like that for granted. We say them, for the most part, without giving it a second thought. There are times when we offer, "God loves you," with genuine intent, but I tend to think that most of us say it with the same degree of sincerity we use when we ask someone how they are doing.
In our culture, the expected answer is "fine." Everybody in the conversation knows that's the only appropriate answer. Unless, of course, you are in the South, when the hospitable answer is either, "Fine. And you?" or "Fine. How're y'all doin'?"
If you respond with any additional health information, we look at you like you are a two headed, six-eyed wombat.
Because of that, we have a tendency to forget the power of our words.
The truth is, we don't know what the person beside us, in front of us or behind us is going through. Maybe they never went to Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. Maybe they've never had anyone tell them they are loved and lovable. If you lived each day in a loveless, God-less world, and someone reminded you almost daily that there is a God who loves you, it just might change your life too.
Mike never said that his mother changed as a result of the love she was shown, but his life did.
The mailman didn't adopt Mike but the mailman's daughter did. Due to a chronic illness, she was unable to bear children. She and her husband had been hoping and praying for a baby. Who would have ever guessed that a customer on the mail route was looking for a family for her child? Who would have predicted that the mailman's daily reminder that "God loves you," would be the key that opened the door to him gaining a grandson? Mike was adopted into a family that nurtured and loved him and encouraged him to use his gift of comedy with his passion to serve Christ.
That is the power of words of encouragement. Wow.
How many times have I encountered someone over the course of a week, month or year and never thought to ask about them, pay attention to their non-verbals or fail to encourage or speak at all. I wonder what would happen if we all decided to be deliberate in pronouncing a blessing on the people we meet:
"God loves you."
"Have a blessed day."
"Jesus loves you."
"I'm praying for you."
Mike's story is a good reminder to be intentional with our words, and to offer encouragement whenever we get the chance. It could change a life.
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