Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)

This past week, I began supporting a new executive who experienced trouble with his technological footprint from day one. Our IT department created an email account and calendar for him under his formal name a few days before his start date that didn’t match the auto-generated account and calendar that used his nickname. While this might not seem like a big deal, many in my company began emailing and sending meeting invitations to his abridged name profile, which he didn’t have access to and would never receive. I spent most of his second day correcting the problem with our travel team, various administrators, and the IT department. By noon on the second day, I contacted my favorite support technician for help.

“I need your super-hero powers,” I told him. “I know you’ll be able to help me where others haven’t.”

Graciously, he agreed to drop all his other duties to assist me. “Sara,” he said, “I’m always going to help you whenever you call on me. It doesn’t matter what else I’m doing. I will always help you, no matter what.”

What made this statement so special was the motivation behind it. Gratitude. I consistently express genuine appreciation in a way that shocks others. While I’m continually stunned by that reality, it has become my norm. Having an attitude of gratitude is the exception in today’s world. Staying positive while surrounded by naysayers and grumblers is normal to me. To others, it is not.

A few months ago, I reposted a photo on LinkedIn to a sign that read, “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.”  Above the image, I added my sentiments: “Appreciation is my special sauce. I pour it over everything! It doesn’t cost a thing and always, always, always makes everything and everyone better! Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday. It’s a daily habit! Make it yours today!!”

To my surprise and amazement, a former technology specialist I worked with previously replied to my post with the following message: “I have a note you wrote to me on my fridge, serving as a reminder that there are caring people like you in the world.”

I last worked with this person more than 7 years ago. I don’t even remember when we connected on LinkedIn. And yet, there he was, telling me that he still had my note of appreciation I gave him on his refrigerator. I was blown away.

Years later, I heard the same thing from this latest technician I’d reached out to help. After telling me that he was dealing with a challenging situation at work with little gratitude and aggressive micromanagement, I spent the next few minutes reminding him how important he is – to me and the company.

“Your words mean SO much more than you know,” he later wrote me. “Also helped me with a tough decision I was facing the past couple days.”

“I promise you that your worth is immeasurable,” I replied. “You may not hear that from everyone – not even from those that you need to hear it from the most – but that doesn’t make it any less real. You are irreplaceable and incomparable. Never forget that.”

Those words come from my heart. While I didn’t feel valuable to anyone on earth before meeting David, I knew my Savior loved me. That thought got me through countless trials that could have easily broken me. I serve an awesome God and have always known how much He loves me.

As a follower of Christ, it’s up to me to be His hands and feet on earth. I may not be able to serve Him in a formal religious setting, but I can still serve my Creator by treating people with love – whether they are coworkers, family members, or total strangers. I want people to see Christ in me – in my compassion, kindness, and appreciation. After all, demonstrating gratitude is just another way to show love – and isn’t that what we Christians are consistently called to do? We are to love others as Christ first loved us.

Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Jesus Christ took that to a different level. John 13:34 reminds us, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Let love and appreciation fill your every day. You may never know what a difference your love and Christ’s can make in the lives of others, but that doesn’t matter. God does, and He told us to sow love everywhere. May it flow out of every pore in my body and into the lives of others every day God gives me on earth.