Dear Friend,
The other day, my little dog Maggie and
I were out for our daily walk, and I noticed two little girls sitting
behind a card table. They were selling little stones they had just painted. I
commented on how beautiful the stones looked, and they told me they were good
luck stones. I said, I am always looking for good luck, so I purchased one for
a dollar.
I told them how impressed I was with
their painting skills, and I praised them for their entrepreneurial spirit. As
I said goodbye, I wished them well as Maggie and I resumed our walk.
What I will remember about that
brief encounter was how encouraged those two little girls were by my purchase.
I was their first customer, and I am sure they probably had visions of earning
enough from future sales to take early retirement.
I stopped by that table because I am
consciously looking for occasions to add value to people's lives. Intentionally
is important, for unless I am intentional bout adding such value, I will miss
opportunities to make that difference.
What a difference we could make, if
every day we were intentional about blessing and making a positive difference
in someone's life.
"The purpose of human life is
to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others." Albert
Schweitzer.
It matters not how small or
insignificant the act-just holding the door for someone-can make a difference
in a person's day. I know, because at my age, people are always holding the
door for me, and as small an act as that is, it always makes me feel grateful
and appreciated.
Adding value to someone rarely
occurs by accident. That is why intentionality is so important. Unless we are
intentional about adding value to others, we will miss those opportunities to
do so.
It is so easy to encourage someone,
to lift them up, and bring a smile to their face. However, if we are so busy
rushing through our day's agenda, we will never create enough room for those
unexpected opportunities to touch another's life.
Winston Church said, "We make a
living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
It didn't take a lot of my time to
make a dollar investment in the lives of a couple of little girls, but whatever
time and money I offered, it was worth it for the joy I experienced as I
witnessed their response that my purchase.
Little things can become big things
when they are done in a spirit of love.
Just yesterday I received an e-mail
from a former church member living in Virginia who took the time to thank me for
a note of encouragement I had sent him. A few clicks on a keyboard, and he had
sent me a message that brought great joy to my heart.
The widow's mite had ultimate value
because, while seemingly monetarily insignificant, it was offered from
the hands of a woman whose heart was filled with love.
Don't stop giving of your time or
resources because you don't think you have much to give. Remember that no gift
is too small when it's given from a heart of love.
So go out today with an intentional
mindset to make a difference in someone's life.
Hold open a door, offer a smile,
give a hug, offer a listening ear, and do as I will do later this morning when
I gather for breakfast with a couple of friends, say thanks to Monica, for
pouring our coffee and serving our food.
Yours in faith and friendship,
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