Dear Friends,
We have all heard the words, "little things mean a lot," and a
few months ago, 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."
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