To Be Valued

Daily Gratitude Year 4- Day 219: Today, I am grateful to be valued.

In my opinion, one of the more powerful messages we can send another human is that the are valued. 

Think about it. The Daily Spouse challenge on Facebook has had me thinking about it.  What if we intentionally told our loved ones the reasons we love them? What if we made decisions every day to tell our co-workers the things that we appreciate about working with them?  What if we told our neighbors how much we valued their attention to detail in their landscaping. Or, the grocery bagger who tries hard to bag your groceries so they safely make it home. 

This is a great place to give a shout out to Amanda.  She has bagged groceries at our local Morton Kroger for as long as I can remember. I believe she began in high school and she is now a full grown women.  I remember when she struggled to choose how to put things together.  Now, she is one of best baggers on the scene and I intentionally choose her line.  I know my eggs, bread and tomatoes are safe in her hands. She bags my groceries like she would her own. 

One day not that long ago, I chose Amanda's line. She was working with a checker I don't know as well. It was the day I went home and completed my customer survey. Here's why: 

The checker, I wish I could remember her name, was amazing at her job, too. I observed the protective eye she kept on Amanda as she worked.  She watched Amanda and I interact and I could feel her wanting to make sure I understood what Amanda was telling me. Amanda has some speech challenges, but she did just fine!  The checker complimented Amanda's work. It warmed my heart to see co-workers valuing each other... and working to make my visit end in a smile. 

The groceries bagged. The debt paid. I was just about on my way. Amanda wanted to tell me something. I said, "Go ahead". Amanda said: "I have Down's Syndrome." My heart melted. Her confession was no surprise to me, but how I loved that she shared a bit of herself. Her checker co-worker and I both smiled at each other. The girl is a worker. And, honest.  

Valuing another human can be life changing.  Amanda changed my day by valuing my groceries. Her co-worker impacted her day by valuing her work. The checker made me smile because we both recognized the gift of Amanda in our world.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." -Luke 12:6-7

More than sparrow. Hairs all counted. Even my Walker's are counted...and that is a bunch of beautiful hair! Our God loves us that much. We are valued more than we can imagine. 

Today, I am grateful to be valued.