Generous Thoughts: Gratitude to the Commenters (12 of 31)

To the sharers, the likers, the commenters, the message senders, the in person encouragers.  To all who are generous with their thoughts. 

 

Thank you. 

 

I read through blogs almost every day.  I click on them when shared on FB and follow a list of favorites on Bloglovin. 

 

Yet how many times have I thought a blog post to be lovely, challenging or well written, but never let the author know either in person or with a comment?  How many times have I been inspired by passionate words, but never said so?  Shaken my head in agreement with an opinion piece, yet not typed out that "yes"?  How many times have I considered asking a question to learn more from someone's perspective, but never followed through?  Read a blog for years but given no praise?  Followed instructions on a tutorial with no thank you? 

 

So many times I've recognized beauty in a writer's words but kept the appreciation to myself.  I've suppressed my generous thoughts a million times, with busyness and an avalanche of attention vying media to blame.  

 

We are bombarded with words.  A mix of gripping, maddening, illuminating, informative, funny, disturbing, personal and poetic words. 

 

Articles and blog posts seem so anonymous until you plunge in and start sharing the outflow of your own heart in those ways.  Here and there people have offered me the gift of a comment or message, replying to my side of the conversation with their side, sharing their thoughts or story of how God used my words to encourage them.  I've been digging up courage and posting my thoughts into what feels like an online gallery, and occasionally someone engages with a shot of interaction. 

 

Then, suddenly, I realize with gratitude how valuable not "suppressing your generous thoughts" truly is.  Each offering has mattered to me.   

 

I deeply desire not to write for attention or praise.  There is SO much of that online, and it scares me because my very flesh and blood self loves those things too. My "Me Monster" always lurks nearby. I'll need to keep praying through how to love interaction with readers, but not pursue laurels. 

 

I can't help being blessed by connection when you comment with  "me too" or spurred on to keep typing when you tell me that God used my family's story to speak to you.  I believe that each of our stories is powerful, and when humbly offered up, WILL be used.  So, I am learning to graciously accept those "generous thoughts" as fuel to keep the laptop plugged in. 

 

I've realized the blessing of reader feedback and am working on suppressing less of it by offering my "me too", my appreciation and my gratitude, freshly aware that I am browsing through another brave writer's online gallery of words.  In a web of a zillion words, every so often a post centers my attention and causes me to pause before it in appreciation.   Think I'll start letting them know more often. 

 

 

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”  

 ~Leo Buscaglia 

 

 

This is post day 12 of a 31 day series: "Tending to the Writer in Me".   1600 other bloggers are sharing their 31 day series here.