Words of Appreciation

Even after 25 years of preaching I still get a good case of "stage fright" before I speak. Then when I am finished I feel drained, stiff and shaky. Recently, after speaking to a church in Lancaster, Ohio, I was feeling especially shaky. As I awkwardly stepped down from the pulpit and made my way slowly down the isle, a woman stopped me, put both arms around me, held me for just a moment and said: "That was a wonderful sermon!" Instantly, my weariness was gone. The physical transformation which overcame me was profound. That experience reminded me of the wonderful healing power of love and affection.

Do you want to be a healer? If so, then follow the advise of the Apostle Paul to, "Love one another with brotherly affection; out-do one another in showing honor." Sometimes, I think that God created dogs to teach us how to be human and how to love each other. A dog will wait with anticipation for his human companion to come home. When you arrive, the dog greets you with enthusiasm. Some dogs will dance around you, go racing around the room, or even go running around the whole house in circles, until you say, "Come!" and stoop down to pet the beast. If you want to lift the spirits and strengthen the bodies of people you know, greet them with enthusiasm and confirm your affection with a hug.

If you are a man, you might say, "I'm not a hugger." You may reserve your 'hug therapy" for immediate family members. But for outsiders, you can still, "Love one another with brotherly affection" by making three points of physical contact: using both right and left hands, and your eyes. The point isn't how much physical contact you make, but how much you are able to communicate your positive regard.

I believe that "Showing honor" is the most powerful pain medication and antidepressant. If your wife spends her day cleaning the house and cooking for you, there is no greater "upper" than a compliment, honoring what she has done. Men and children live in a world of "unworthiness". "More" is always expected of them. Words of appreciation act like a tonic, perking up the body and the brain.

I am always amazed by how the greeting of one person can change the way I think and feel. The greater the dose of enthusiasm, affection and appreciation, the more powerful the healing effect!





Dr. Greene is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and a resident of Richmond, IN. He is also the author of Feeling Better: The Wisdom of the Doc, You Can Feel Better: How to cope with chronic pain and physical disabilities, and co-author of Walking Free: the Nellie Zimmerman Story.


For further information about his books, please visit www.densmorereid.com

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