"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." ~Unknown
We were two minutes from the school and had exactly two minutes before we were late. The week was almost over; one of the longest weeks we have every year. I looked over at my mom, who was uptight and staring straight ahead as if her glare could somehow will the vehicles in front of her to go faster. On impulse, I put my hand on her arm, smiled and said, "It's gonna be okay, Mom." She instantly relaxed, her lips melting into an exhausted smile. She half-laughed and thanked me, clearly relieved. Of course, she knew it was going to be okay, but having someone whisper those words to her as a little reminder changed her whole countenance.
I had a moment of revelation (at least, that's what I call it anyway, haha)! It was just a touch, just five little words, and yet... a heart had been lifted, a body had been relaxed, a day had been changed. I don't think I've ever realized just how powerful a trivial little thing like that could change someone's day. Maybe you yourself have experienced something like this, where someone smiled or said hi or gave you a hug and instantly your mood changes and you get a warm fuzzy feeling, a knowing of being loved, a knowing of being cared for.
The quote at the top of this post got me to thinking. If something that small could change someone's day, couldn't something like that change someone's life? I mean, all you need is the right moment, the right amount of kindness, and you could potentially "turn a life around." Isn't that exciting? 'Cause it was most definitely to me! Just breathe for a moment and think on this.
Okay, now that you've contemplated this for a moment, I'll bring up my first question when confronted with this exciting news was: So how do I find that "right moment" and have that "right amount of kindness"?
Well... for starters, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of God (which means that they were initially God's words) said, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted... (Eph. 4:32)" Be kind. Yeah... so that can be really hard sometimes, specifically when you're having a hard day yourself. But I know that being kind can be very rewarding, especially if their gratitude for a small gesture is obvious (I love it when someone is thankful for something that the Holy Spirit put on my mind to do for someone else; almost as if God Himself was smiling down on me).
Another idea in finding the "right moment" would be to expect the right moment to be at any time at all. Sometimes you won't know for sure if it's the perfect moment or not, but you go for it anyway. You see someone walking down the hall and you smile at them. Say hello. You're stuck in a deathly-silent elevator for three more floors, a stranger to your left. Say hi, ask them how their day is going, wish them a great rest of the day as you step off. You converse with the receptionist, ask them how their weekend went. You see someone in the lunchroom at school sitting by themselves, go keep them company, inquire about how they are really doing. Most people will open up about a tough situation that just happened that morning, and you have an opportunity to later write them a note and slip it in their locker or on their desk at work to tell them you are praying for them. Literally, expect the "right moment" to be any moment! Sometimes the small things end up being the most powerful of all.
Please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you. :) Thanks for reading this!
I had a moment of revelation (at least, that's what I call it anyway, haha)! It was just a touch, just five little words, and yet... a heart had been lifted, a body had been relaxed, a day had been changed. I don't think I've ever realized just how powerful a trivial little thing like that could change someone's day. Maybe you yourself have experienced something like this, where someone smiled or said hi or gave you a hug and instantly your mood changes and you get a warm fuzzy feeling, a knowing of being loved, a knowing of being cared for.
The quote at the top of this post got me to thinking. If something that small could change someone's day, couldn't something like that change someone's life? I mean, all you need is the right moment, the right amount of kindness, and you could potentially "turn a life around." Isn't that exciting? 'Cause it was most definitely to me! Just breathe for a moment and think on this.
Okay, now that you've contemplated this for a moment, I'll bring up my first question when confronted with this exciting news was: So how do I find that "right moment" and have that "right amount of kindness"?
Well... for starters, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of God (which means that they were initially God's words) said, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted... (Eph. 4:32)" Be kind. Yeah... so that can be really hard sometimes, specifically when you're having a hard day yourself. But I know that being kind can be very rewarding, especially if their gratitude for a small gesture is obvious (I love it when someone is thankful for something that the Holy Spirit put on my mind to do for someone else; almost as if God Himself was smiling down on me).
Another idea in finding the "right moment" would be to expect the right moment to be at any time at all. Sometimes you won't know for sure if it's the perfect moment or not, but you go for it anyway. You see someone walking down the hall and you smile at them. Say hello. You're stuck in a deathly-silent elevator for three more floors, a stranger to your left. Say hi, ask them how their day is going, wish them a great rest of the day as you step off. You converse with the receptionist, ask them how their weekend went. You see someone in the lunchroom at school sitting by themselves, go keep them company, inquire about how they are really doing. Most people will open up about a tough situation that just happened that morning, and you have an opportunity to later write them a note and slip it in their locker or on their desk at work to tell them you are praying for them. Literally, expect the "right moment" to be any moment! Sometimes the small things end up being the most powerful of all.
Please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you. :) Thanks for reading this!