Three Little Words 

If someone mentioned the phrase "three little words" what would your mind conjure up? So many of the most significant messages that people deliver to one another often come in just three words. When spoken or conveyed, those statements have the power to forge new friendships, deepen old ones and restore relationships that have cooled. The following three word phrases can enrich every relationship every bit as much as the most obvious one.

I am here. Being there for another person is the greatest gift we can give. When we are truly presient for other people, important things happen to them and to us. We are renewed in love and friendship. We are restored emotionally and spiritually.

I miss you. Perhaps more friendships could be salvaged and strengthened if people simply and sincerely said to each other, "I miss you." This powerful affirmation tells others that they are wanted, needed, desired and loved.

I respect you. Respect is another way of showing love. Respect conveys the feeling that another person is a true equal. It is a powerful way to affirm the importance of a relationship.

You are right. This phrase is highly effective in diffusing an argument and restoring frayed emotions and, of course, the flipside of "you are right" is the humility of admitting "I am wrong."

Please forgive me. Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness. All of us are vulnerable to faults and failures. A person should never be ashamed to own up that they have been in the wrong, which is saying in other words that they are wiser today than they were yesterday.

I thank you. Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who enjoy the companionship of good, close friends are those who don't take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness. On the other hand, people whose circle of friends is constricted often do not have attitude.

Count on me. "A friend is one who walks in when others walk out." Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship; it is the emotional glue that bonds people. When troubles come, a good friend is there saying "you can count on me."

Let me help. The best of friends see a need and try to fill it. When they spot a hurt they do what they can to heal it. Without being asked they pitch in and help.

I understand you. People become closer and enjoy each other more if they feel that the other person accept and understands them. Letting other people know in so many little ways that you understand them is one of the most powerful tools for strengthening a relationship.

Go for it. Some of your friends may have dreams and plans that may seem beyond reach. Support them and rather than urging them to conform, encourage their uniqueness. Everyone has dreams that no one else has.

I love you. Of course three little words that you were probably expecting to see first in this list have to be reserved for someone very special in our lives. So often God speaks to us in messages of three words and, even if our relationship with him is not as close as it should be at times, we can still be reassured that no matter when we turn to him, he will always say to us:

I forgive you,
I love you.
You are mine.
Take my hand.
Go in peace.

This week use whatever three little words are required to restore and deepen relationships with the important people in your life. This is what saints do ...