There’s a traditional African proverb that says “it takes a village to raise a child”. The idea is that a child has their best chance at being a whole, productive and healthy human when there are multiple people involved in bringing them up.

We see that in the ideal picture of the family unit: grandparents and parents and uncles and family friends, all shaping and helping, bringing wisdom, guidance, advice and options. Maybe in your own life, you’ve had the chance to input into someone’s story and it is equally as likely that someone has done the same for you too.

As I look back over my short lifetime, I can see the impact and influence of many people who have challenged, encouraged and stirred me. A timely word of encouragement. A gentle warning. A challenge. A nod. A smile. All that have pushed me and provoked and caused good things in my life.

We can be quick to receive those things but forget to go back and say thank you. Sometimes we need to revisit those in our past and say “Thank you for helping me”. Often we don’t know what our encouragement means to someone else, how God can use it to impact someone. Which means that often other people don’t know how their encouragement impacted us.

There’s an opportunity for response here:  why not message someone today and thank them for their impact in your life?