We are in the midst of another holiday season. Special lights, special food, special gatherings, special traditions—we are surrounded by reminders that some days are just, well, SPECIAL!

What do we remember from Holidays past? Do we remember a special gift? A special friend? A funny story about how this or that went wrong? What do we remember, and what will we remember for years to come? I bet that, with a few notable exceptions, we will not remember what gifts we received or what gifts we gave. No, what we will remember is how we FELT.

An oft-repeated phrase in business is that people rarely remember what we say but they always remember how we make them feel. This is the basis of true customer service in business, and lies at the heart of most of our relationships.

In every interpersonal interaction, we have an opportunity to make the moment memorable. With our words and our body language, we can make others feel welcome and appreciated, or we can make them feel unwelcome and unappreciated. How approachable are we?

For Christians, we have the great assurance that we can approach the Throne of Grace boldly, knowing that we are welcome and appreciated because of our relationship with Christ. We are never turned away, never a bother, never troublesome.

So as we make our way through the holidays and into a new year, let’s resolve to make memories with those around us. Let’s make them feel valuable, worthy of our time, and appreciated. Those are the memories they will never forget!