New Monmouth Musings: A Lesson I Learned on the Way Home from the Hospital 

Dear Friends,

We have all heard the words, "little things mean a lot," but last week I had the joy of experiencing just how truthful this frequently uttered expression really is. While at Riverview Hospital waiting for the elevator to open, I witnessed a mother and a daughter expressing their concern over the news they had recently received regarding a doctor's prognosis regarding a family member. The daughter had her arms wrapped around her mother trying to console her. As I stepped into the elevator, I realized I had a real opportunity for ministry. As mom and daughter stepped off the elevator, I commented that I had witnessed their tearful embrace before stepping into the elevator, and I wondered if I could pray for them. They were caught off guard, but quickly the daughter commented how much she would appreciate prayer. I asked them how I could pray, and they briefly related the circumstances of their concern. I prayed for them and their loved one and after a warm embrace I headed for the parking lot, but not before they profusely expressed their gratitude for my taking time to pray with them.

My encounter with them lasted less than a few minutes, but during that time I really felt like I was being used by God, as I sought to encourage this grieving mom and daughter. As I later reflected on the experience, I was wonderfully reminded that in God's scheme of things "little things do mean a lot." It took only a few moments to minister to this grieving mother and daughter, and yet in that brief time span, I not only brought hope and encouragement to them, but I experienced the joy of knowing that God had used me to make a small difference in two lives.

All too often we tend to under estimate the value of the small things that we do as His servants, but I often discover that it is in those tiny and seemingly insignificant expressions of love, that God has a way of multiplying their value. A young lad had only a few loaves and fishes to offer Jesus, but from God's perspective when these gifts were placed in the hands of Jesus, those fish and loaves would be greatly multiplied, and they would satisfy the hungry crowd gathered on that Capernaum hillside. Yes, it is true that "little things really do matter" and  "those random acts of kindness" when performed in the spirit of Christ's love have a way of being multiplied in value. 

Someone will often ask me, "Tom, do you remember what you said or did," and when they go on to describe the words or action I will often respond, "no, I don't remember." Then the person will explain how those words or actions impacted their lives, and I am always surprised to learn the impact of those seemingly tiny and insignificant acts of love.

I close with the words of Mother Teresa who said, "Not all of us can do great things but we can do small things with great love."

So let’s be about the business of looking for those opportunities to serve, knowing that even the smallest and most insignificant act of service will be multiplied in value when it is done in His love. 

Yours in faith and friendship,
Pastor Tom

P.S. "If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else."