Maybe I'm Not An Idiot Editor

"Why is Deanna posting a note today? It is not Monday or Thursday,” you might ask and say. ‘Tis true, dear friends, ‘tis true. However, I will not be near a computer tomorrow because I’ll be traveling to Atlanta and back for work and then going to opening night of Bowling Season #3! And so…I write today.

Not surprisingly, I’m still thinking about words. On Monday I mentioned that my primary love language is words of affirmation. I stated that I need words like I need air. And I do. I suppose that’s why I have two cards sitting in my inbox right now so that I can easily reach and read them. I received one card on Tuesday. I received the other card today. Each was very simple, yet both had a profound impact on me.

Card One. This card is from a 71-year-old woman who feels a burning desire to begin an Acteens group in her church. God has lain it upon her heart that teenagers need a safe space to come, grow, and be heard, and she wants to create that space through Acteens because she loves missions even more than she loves teenagers. She is so excited about starting her group that she came to two church trainings and gave me a huge hug at the end of the second. Then she sent a card that read:

Outside: There are things only you can do, and you are alive to do them. In the great orchestra we call life, you have an instrument and a song, and you owe it to God to play them both sublimely (Max Lucado). Inside: Play on. Handwritten text: Thank you.

Those two simple words—thank you—coupled with the musical theme of the card—mean so much to me…

Card Two. This card is from an 85+-year-old woman who has supported SC WMU for more decades than I have been alive. It wasn’t actually sent to me, but Boss brought it to me because of its content. It says:

Just want to let you and the staff know what a great job you did on the last issue of the Missions Link. Thanks!


Now, I can’t take much credit for Link because I’m just the text editor, but…still…I often feel like an idiot of an editor, so reading this simple statement helps me believe that I’m not that much of an idiot editor :-).

Have you recently received any words—expected, unexpected, spoken, or written—that have impacted you in a positive way? If so, please share.

I truly believe that words have power and that when we intentionally share kind words—good words—words that build up rather than tear down—then we are sharing words of love that come from the heart of God.