I was a woman on a mission. It was another day at the grocery store and I had my list in hand, 15 minutes, and a can-do attitude. I raced down the store aisles and then hopped into the checkout line, feeling like I had conquered the world. My to-do list was shrinking, and I thought about what I had already accomplished that day.
I was clicking through and marking off finished tasks when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see an elderly man with a kind smile who looked familiar.
“You frequent this store a lot don’t you?” he said.
“I sure do,” I replied. “Sometimes I think it’s my second home.”
He nodded and continued. “I don’t mean to bother you, but I wanted to thank you.”
I asked him for what, and he replied, “I’m a cancer fighter, and one day you were here at this same grocery store. I was headed out of town for a tough cancer treatment and feeling discouraged. It felt like I was the only one fighting this disease, and no one was there for me, or cared. Not a kind word or smile to be found. I felt lost in the big hole of cancer.” He stopped for a moment, and then his eyes brightened. “We were standing in line, and I was struggling to hold my items. You had a full cart and were ahead of me, but you insisted I go before you, and even helped me place my items on the checkout table. We chatted for a quick moment, and as I thanked you and said goodbye, you smiled and said, ‘God bless your day today.’ But you know what I remember the most? I could tell you meant it.” The man stopped and nodded, as if agreeing with himself. “Those may have just been words to you, but they were a lifeline for me. Honestly, I wanted to die that day. I felt hopeless, but you gave me a small light of hope to hang onto so I could make it through the day ahead. And here I am. Still fighting, but much more hopeful.”
He finished, and the rush of my day suddenly came to a screeching halt. I didn’t get anything else checked off my list that day, because it suddenly didn’t seem to matter so much. I chatted with this precious gentleman for a few minutes, and it was all I needed to make my day complete.
I wondered at how a few words could make such a tremendous difference. I knew the answer as I thought back to a medical visit many years ago with Mom. The day was grim with bad news at every turn, but a nurse gave us both a hug at the same time – a small group hug. She told us God was there, and that we mattered. It was a short 15 seconds, but it turned our day around completely and gave us that thread of hope we had been longing for. A small act of kindness was big for us. When you are feeling defeated and alone, it’s often small moments that turn the day around. Mom always talked about the importance of those small things, and the man in the checkout line showed me how true it can be.
My devotional this week reminded me how the small things matter. Jesus values small over large: the hairs on our head, birds in the air, flowers in the field. He noticed those
Jesus served in the smallest of ways, from washing feet to holding children and cooking fish. He rewarded the little deeds: the woman who washed his feet with her hair, the leper who said those two words, “thank you,” and the woman by the well who gave Him a cool drink of water.
Nothing was too insignificant for the savior of the world. So why do we often believe that “bigger is better?”
We want our lives to count, but we often feel miniscule and ordinary, convincing ourselves those everyday moments won’t amount to anything. We think about what family we were born into, where we grew up, or the positions we serve in, and determine they are of little value in His kingdom. It’s easy to believe that who we are, where we are, and what we are doing don’t really matter.
On the day I met the man in the checkout line, it reminded me that when I partner with God, He can use the small moments to affect eternity in ways I may never understand. He helps us accomplish great things in the small, everyday moments. It’s my job to offer who I am to Him so he can take it from there.
Little things are not little to God. He rejoices in what is right, not what is big. If we are faithful in the small things and begin where we are, we can leave the results to God. When the outcome is in His hands, we discover that a significant life comprises all those small moments. But the impact is greater than we can imagine.
Today, as you check off your list and accomplish all that you set out to do, remember that your small act of kindness can make a big difference for eternity.