Last summer, I was sitting on the screen porch working on my Bible Study lesson, and a minuscule bug crawled across the page. I’m incredibly brave when it comes to small bugs, so I squished it. (Please don’t report me to PETA.) What I discovered was this: little tiny bug, more of a bug wannabe really, made a much bigger mess on my page than I had anticipated. I won’t ever be able to forget that little bugger.
It got me to thinking about other little things that can cause big problems. A tiny spark can turn into a huge forest fire. One small word can cause a huge fight. And, I hate to bring up a sore subject, but a tiny little respiratory droplet can ignite a pandemic.
But, here’s the good news. It works in reverse, too. There are a lot of little tiny things that we can do that will trigger great rewards. A teeny tiny seed can sprout into a plant that’ll feed a family (and if it’s zucchini, it’ll feed the neighborhood). A single kind word can alter a person’s day. The possibilities are endless.
The Christmas season is going to be challenging for lots of people this year. It’s a time when we want to be with our families, and yet, at the same time, we want to be responsible and careful not to spread more of those pesky little respiratory droplets around. No doubt, some families will be grieving the loss of a family member as they walk into this season. People are going to need to be loved and encouraged by our little acts of kindness.
Let’s start spreading the love with just one small thing. Like my little bug friend, maybe we’ll leave an indelible mark.
Here are just a few ideas I had for doing one small thing:
- Send a note of encouragement—it takes less than five minutes!
- Smile at someone as you pass by—yes, even with a mask on, a person can tell when you’re smiling.
- Make cookies for a neighbor—okay, it’s not a small thing, but it’s not a hard thing if you enjoy baking.
- Send a restaurant gift card to a friend who’s going through a hard time—or a coupon for a food delivery service.
- Stop for the driver trying to turn onto a busy road and let him go in front of you.
- Offer to pick up groceries for your neighbor. (When I had COVID last summer, I wouldn’t have been able to get by without several of my neighbors running errands for us.)
- Deliver a Christmas tree to a single mom in need of encouragement—plus ornaments and lights if needed.
I’m sure you have some great ideas of your own for small things that will make a difference. If so, please share them in the comments. Let’s be encouragers during this Christmas season!
Nancy loves to laugh and considers laughter a critical part of human survival. If you were to ask, most days she would say her glass is half full but when it starts reaching the half-empty level, she reaches for a funny book or movie knowing that indeed “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Nancy has three married sons and five grandchildren. To read more from Nancy find her at www.nancyholte.com.
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