When you meet someone who needs encouragement, give it to them! Why? Because more people die of broken hearts than swelled heads. And that’s true, whether they live in a mansion or a mud hut. The story is told of a little boy who wanted to play darts with his father. He said, ‘Come on, dad, let’s play darts. I’ll throw, and you shout “wonderful!”‘ You may smile, but we tend to become what the most important people in our lives think of us. So think the best, believe the best, and express the best toward them – for your words are helping to shape their destiny.

God is at the heart of all change. In any relationships there is only one person that you can change – yourself. We can’t change people with our words but we can help them to consider changing themselves. With God’s help we can all change for the better and our words can act as a catalyst. Maybe we should all shout “wonderful” a bit more often.

Rev Peter Morphew
Chaplain