It seems like most of the people around me have it all together. They’re on time (or early) and prepared. They remember things about me — like my birthday or one of my favorite snacks — that I forget about them. Their house (or room, or car) always seems spotless. They’re creative. Talented. The life of the party.
I usually assume people like this don’t need encouragement. They’re already confident in and fully assured of their talents, right? They probably wouldn’t care if I told them I appreciated something they said or did. Surely they’d think I was just trying to flatter them?
A couple of weeks ago, I messaged someone to tell her I appreciated a devotional she had written and shared with me. She messaged me back quickly and thanked me for reaching out, admitting she tends to be hard on herself about what she writes.
I think it’s often easier for us to see where we fall short than to see where we do things well. No matter how talented someone is, they still…