A few days ago, I shared encouragements for this month in a blog post entitled, Grace Goals for January. I have four goals in mind. Two focus on a relationship with others (giving) and two focus on a relationship with God (one asking something from God, the other giving thanks to Him by noticing #straygifts in the day).

• Ministry Goal: Write and send at least one letter or card to someone to encourage
• Prayer Plan: Pray for a caregiver. Caregivers have many definitions (mothers, nurses, pastors, teachers, those who care for a spouse or a child who is ill, those who are caring for a parent)…I would imagine you have someone in mind that could use some encouragement and prayer.
• Grace Goal: Compliment someone and make their day
• “Stray Gifts” Suggestions: Look for things brand new, heartfelt, inspirational, and white

The first part of the goal is to write a note to someone. A personal touch goes a long way. Writing a note does not necessarily mean sending a card out in the mail, it could be a note written to someone in your own home. I make my husband’s lunch for him to take to work. A few months ago, I started writing notes to put on his lunch container – a small sticky note with words of love, a silly quote, a fun memory, or an encouraging message. He is a quiet sort of guy and had not said anything about it until one day, there wasn’t one. I was thinking that maybe my ‘little note’ was not noticed or appreciated. Later, he mentioned that he missed it and had been looking forward to seeing what I had thought to write that day. It wasn’t just a note, it made his day. Such a small thing, we think, but you never know what it might mean to another person! I try not to miss a day now, even if I only draw a heart or a smiley face.

Small opportunities surround us every day. Whether you write a note and mail it, or you write it to someone in your own home and place it with a lunch, on a pillow, or around a place you know it will be found, I encourage you to surprise someone. When a person does not comment, say, “Thank you”, or seem to notice, it causes me to wonder if I should even do it. In those cases, I can only pray that God is using me and that for that particular person on that particular day, it is not just a note.