This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with Becky Keife. Becky is the community manager for (in)courage, an online community where women gather to build community, celebrate diversity, and become women of courage. In addition to daily articles on incourage.me, (in)courage also offers Bible studies, devotionals, and a podcast to help women grow in their faith! Becky is also a popular speaker and is the author of The Simple Difference: How Every Small Kindness Makes a Big Impact, the Courageous Kindness Bible Study, as well as No Better Mom for the Job. She and her husband live near Los Angeles, where they enjoy hiking shady trails with their three spirited sons.

Key Points from Our Conversation:

• We often think of kindness as being synonymous with being polite or nice, but often it requires courage. We need to be willing to embrace the awkward for the sake of encouraging someone else.
• “Our words don’t have to be complicated in order to be meaningful.”
• Jesus often chose kindness through awkward actions. Take a risk and leave the outcome to God. If we let what-ifs become barriers to following the Holy Spirit, we'll miss out on the blessing He has for us. He's offering us the opportunity to see Him work in us and through us in unexpected ways.
• Often God isn’t asking us to make a big move but to do the simple thing. The small things can cause ripples of change. Don’t wait for the perfect circumstances. We can make a difference right where we are with exactly what we have. God wants to use our simple kindness.
• When we build margin into our lives it gives us the opportunity to show kindness without feeling like we don't have the time to invest in others. Regardless of how much time we have, we can choose to be present where we are and to the people in front of us. “Be where your feet are.”
• There's something powerful that happens when we shift from being self-focused to others-focused. When you feel like you have nothing left to give, choose to be the friend/spouse/neighbor you want to have. The more you pour out, the more God will fill you back up.
• Don’t discount the power of prayer. Prayer isn’t a last resort, it should be our first response. Consider offering the profound kindness of praying for someone while you're with them in the moment.

Let’s Get Real Practical:

I'm challenging you to ask God to show you who He wants you to show kindness to today. Then follow through by doing something for that person that makes you a bit uncomfortable.

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