If there is anything I can’t stand it’s people who always point out what wrong with people. Man, THOSE people really bug me. If they write well and can come up with great analogies then others listen and learn and even come to agree with them. They always place themselves as the counter culture observationist who really gets it. If the whole world just saw things my way we’d be much better off. Granted, we don’t say that, but we think that.
Wait, did I say “we?” I meant “they.” Ok, no I didn’t. I meant “they.” You see, here’s my out. Here’s why I feel I have a license to say what I say. I do what I can to not only point out what is wrong, but I work hard to point toward what is right. So, rather than just blather on about how people in general (and sadly many Christians) don’t “get it”, I will point today toward…it.
I have already written several posts about how we don’t love enough. I have pointed out how we need to love more and criticize less. For now at least, let’s forget about what we do wrong. Let’s leave behind where we miss the mark. Let’s look forward to how to love. For today, I’d like to focus this on the very simple ways to love. So here are some, feel free to add to the list.
Simple ways to love
1. Smile AT someone.
2. Tell someone thank you.
3. Listen to someone who is telling a story…I mean, really listen and not just wait to reply.
4. Tell a loved one you love them.
5. Tell a loved one you appreciate them for who they are.
6. Talk to a loved one without a topic or the tv on.
7. Hold a door for anyone.
8. Let someone go ahead of you in line or in traffic.
9. Remember somebody’s name.
10. Thank somebody for doing their job (garbage man, police, security, mail man, receptionist, etc.)
11. Ask someone if they are losing weight or getting in shape.
12. Notice when someone changes their hairstyle or gets new clothes.
13. Leave a busy person alone.
14. Take a bored person with you.
15. Compliment someone on their car (mostly if they obviously care about it…I’m out on that one).
16. Tell a manager in your favorite store that it looks nice.
17. Tell an employee that nothing is wrong and that you just wanted to point that out.
18. Notice someone for anything about them.
19. Say something to someone that you wish somebody would say to you.
20. Send a quick note (email, text, tweet etc) of encouragement. The more random the person the more impact it will have.
21. Give someone the benefit of the doubt…again.
22. Give someone a positive nickname.
23. Tip your server 25%.
24. Tell someone that they matter.
25. Do what is asked of you…the first time.
26. Buy something for a kid (with the parents permission of course).
27. Develop simple forms of relationship with people you see regularly but aren’t directly connected to. For example, one employee of a local store I point to whenever I see him. Another I give them the upwards head nod. That’s it, that’s all.
28. Remember a significant achievement of a loved one and remind them of it.
29. Ask someone how they do something and listen.
30. After asking how someone is, stop and actually listen to what they say.
This list is very short and very simple and costs you next to nothing. I will be getting to more thorough ways to love in a few posts from now. For now, keep it simple but make it intentional. It will not always turn out good for you, that’s not the point. The point is to put some love out there. Where it goes is beyond your control, and that’s OK.
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