Sowing the seeds of growth

I wished a colleague of mine "Happy Valentine's Day" and he turned to shake my hand and told me: "Happy Valentine's Day, too, to you. Thank you for being my friend and for being such a nice colleague." My face turned red immediately because I was taken aback by his heartfelt comments, and I mumbled a few words of thanks.

It got me thinking about this anecdote by one of the pastors - that just as a plant requires fertiliser and water for it to grow to its full potential, so, too, people need encouragement and empowerment for them to realise their full potential and fulfil what God had intended for them in their lives using their abilities and talents.

In this world, however, too often, people tend to add poison to other people's lives through their speech and actions - cutting words, physical abuse and the like - and thus hampering growth of their potential.

It does not mean that one should not offer criticism but it does mean that criticism and any negative comments should be offered in grace and in the belief that the person will be the better for knowing where he is falling short and where he needs to buck up. It should never be done in anger or in spite or in a way as to deliberately demean the person.

I'm praying that more and more, the world will be filled with people who are willing to add water and fertiliser to other lives.