I am a pastor in Northern California. A couple of years ago I visited a church I am close friends with in Chemnitz, Germany. They are such great people and are actively seeking to bring encouragement and hope to their struggling city. So I decided to leave my first review on Google Maps for them (which I just updated with some photos). When I got back home, I began to reflect on the power of Local Guides as a resource to help raise the “encouragement level” of communities throughout the world. When Jesus told us to “love our neighbor,” he left that command wide open for all the creative ways we could obey it and apply it in the lives of those around us. I realized that one simple, yet potentially deeply impactful way to love my neighbor would be to leave reviews for local businesses and nonprofits.
I love being able to take just a few minutes of my time to give a business owner or hardworking server or friendly barista a review that could make their day. I typically put the first name of an employee in my review so they can be personally encouraged, but I also do this so their employer is made aware of the valuable worker they have on their staff. Who knows? Maybe it will result in a pay raise or promotion for that person? How cool would that be?!! In fact, a couple of years ago, I left a review for a hotel worker in the city that is now my new hometown. She and I became friends on Facebook and I learned that my remarks about her job performance helped her.
In our terribly divided and discouraged world, I feel like any word of encouragement we can give to another person could lift the spirits of entire communities. One helpful review could lift up a person and cause them to spread their joy to another person. And the more that chain reaction occurs, the more the “encouragement level” will increase across each community, and finally, across our entire world.
In this way, I truly believe Local Guides have the potential to change the world!
“Kind words are like honey-- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” (Proverbs 16:24)
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