Can you recall when someone said a kind word or performed a small act of service for you? It probably wasn’t even logged into the fabric of their minds, but it impacted you and remains an encouragement nugget.
When I think back, I can remember:
• A compliment offered in a grocery store
• A lunch paid for by a friend
• A needed hug that came out of nowhere
• A card that arrived in the mail
It’s the little pieces that make a story beautiful—the mostly overlooked, the unrecognized, the little things that can change an attitude, feeling, or perspective. It doesn’t take much to make someone smile or bring a bit of sunshine to a dreary day. How often are we the ones making an impact?
In 1984 I moved to Palm Springs, California, to teach migrant workers’ children in a small district called Thermal. I was fresh out of college and in charge of my first classroom. I loved it, but there were challenges and struggles because I had a great degree but no experience. It was a different culture, and the students were older than I had anticipated teaching.
I threw all my ideas and classroom management techniques at the wall, hoping some of them would stick. I adored those kids and tried to be a voice of encouragement and guidance. I taught for four years in that district before I moved to a new location. I never really knew if I made a difference, but my heart was a few sizes larger when I left.
Fast forward thirty years to when I discovered a message in my Facebook messenger from one of those precious students in California. She shared a picture of a note I had sent to her parents. To me, it was just a hastily signed recognition for her to take home. I didn’t think twice about it. But evidently it meant a lot to her because she still had it all those years later and she tracked me down on social media. I realized it’s the little things that matter.
It was a reminder to look around when I’m shopping or eating at a restaurant or sitting in my seat at church. As I interact with people, I can be the person who shines on them. What can I do that makes them smile at the end of the day or remember the gesture thirty years later?
And what about my friends and family? How can I be a breath of inspiration instead of a cloud of busyness, stress, and negativity? How can I shift and use my words or acts of service to make their lives easier or circumstances more pleasant?
The gestures or kindness we exhibit may seem like little things to us, but they might be huge to others and make their lives better and brighter. I challenge you to find small ways to impact others. And I pray you encounter individuals who positively affect you. Let’s be a Ferris wheel of sunshine and rainbows. Okay, I took it a step too far. Just go smile on someone’s day. You’ll be glad you did.
