Since Mary let it be known that her cancer has returned, she’s received an inbox full of emails and a mailbox full of snail mail. Her heart is being well fed by these kind messages.
The other day she said, “It’s interesting what people are writing. Many are thanking me for helping them in ways I don’t even remember, little things that in the big picture don’t even matter. It’s stuff like bringing someone a cold drink or giving them a ride. Why people are thanking me for this kind of thing, I don’t know. It’s not even worth remembering.”
After we talked about it for a while, we concluded that maybe the little things really are the big things. For example, if we hope to do “big things for the Lord,” we might be missing the point of what he wants us to do. If Mary’s mail is any indication, little things can have a big impact.
I remember Mom experiencing the same thing. She was in her late eighties and had begun receiving calls and visits from long-ago Sunday school pupils who by then were middle-aged. The reason for their attention was always the same: each was taking a look-back at their lives, and Mom had factored in significantly. They were calling and visiting to acknowledge her and express gratitude.
“Thanks for being glad to see us whenever we came around. Those chocolate chip cookies you made were fabulous. And thanks for helping us decorate for the high school banquets each year.” Inevitably they listed “little things” that stuck out in their memories. And just like Mary, Mom didn’t remember most of them.
That’s the thing about any life well-lived. What he/she does by helping people is so second-nature, it goes unremembered. Being nice, thinking of others first, offering help, all become automatic and play out in a lifestyle that leaves a trail of blessings all along the way. Everyone sees it except the one doing the blessing.
As Mary’s mail attests, she is one of those unusual people. As for the rest of us standing on the sidelines watching, we’re learning that it’s the little things that really matter most.
“Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16)
Praising and Praying with Mary
- I’m thankful for today, a very full, very good Sunday.
- Please pray for the ability to take one day at a time and not look too far down the road; in other words, to be content with a flashlight, not a floodlight.