Leave a Lift Note — Matthew 25 Challenge | September 21–27, 2026

Sometimes the smallest words arrive at exactly the right moment.

This week, the Held by Love Matthew 25 Challenge is simple: LEAVE A LIFT NOTE. Write one short, kind, uplifting note and leave it somewhere appropriate for a stranger to find.

A few sincere words can change the direction of someone’s day. We may never know who finds the note, what they are carrying, or why those words mattered. That is part of the beauty of this challenge: love does not need recognition to be real.

This Week’s Challenge

Write one short, kind, uplifting note and leave it somewhere appropriate for a stranger to find. Repeat the act throughout the week whenever you can.

What Could I Write?

Keep it simple and genuine. Try: “You matter.” “Keep going.” “You are doing better than you think.” “The world is better with you in it.” “Someone is rooting for you today.” Or write your own words of encouragement.

Where Can I Leave One?

Choose safe, respectful places where a note will not create litter, damage property, interfere with accessibility, or cause a problem for workers. You might leave a note in an appropriate community space, inside a library book where permitted, at a coffee shop with permission, or hand one directly to someone you already know could use encouragement. Use good judgment and respect the rules of the place you are in.

Why This Matters

Encouragement is easy to underestimate because it costs so little. But a sentence offered at the right time can remind another human being that they are seen, valued, and not alone. We do not have to solve every problem in someone’s life to bring a little light into one moment of it.

This Week’s Scripture

“Encourage one another and build each other up.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Scripture turns encouragement from a pleasant idea into something we are invited to practice. Building one another up can begin with something as small as a few handwritten words.

Protect Dignity and Privacy

This challenge is about giving, not documenting another person’s vulnerability. Never identify, photograph, record, or share a recipient without their freely given consent. If you participate in #GetCaughtInTheAct, photograph the note itself or the place you left it—not an unsuspecting person who finds or receives it.

Get Caught in the Act of Love

If you want to share your participation, show us your note before you leave it. Tell us where kindness traveled without identifying the person who received it. Your example may inspire someone else to leave the next note.

One note. One moment. One reminder that somebody matters.

LOVE SEES. LOVE SERVES. LOVE STAYS. LOVE LOOKS LIKE THIS.