Little things that stick in our minds

I was reflecting yesterday (as I coloured up Esther 04 - Mordecai requests Esther’s help - Scene 03 - Hathach) on several times when I have been on the receiving end of wonderful deeds or gifts of kindness. Most probably the people who did them for me don’t even know how much they meant at the time, & still do, to me.

One such time was when I was grieving, a few years ago now. I walked in to church but couldn’t see anywhere to sit. A young lady I only knew a little looked back & saw me, & then patted the seat beside her, to indicate that I could go & sit there. Instantly I felt included; I was so grateful for that gesture, it really did mean the world to me when I was feeling so low, insignificant & vulnerable. I was very shy & quiet & so didn’t take the opportunity to tell the lady just how much that small gesture really meant to me, at that time. That’s a pity, because the incident has come back to my mind many, many times since & it always fills me with gratitude & thankfulness.

This incident reminds me of Jesus’ words in Matthew’s Gospel:

Matthew 10:42 (NLT)
“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

For me, that lady’s gesture of inclusion & welcome was much, much more than a cup of cold water. I believe she will be mightily surprised when she gets to heaven & Jesus mentions the incident to her & beams His great big smile at her, for doing such a wonderful, inclusive, kind, loving thing. I expect she will have long forgotten the incident. But I haven’t, & nor has Jesus.

In the same way, the seemingly small, insignificant things we might do for other people, can be monumentally important to them. Since we don’t know what other people are feeling or going through, our small acts of kindness can really make a huge difference to someone who is hurting, feeling lost, lonely, insecure or grieving. It only takes a moment of caring, or loving someone else. And in that moment, brilliant, life-long, life-changing events can occur... without us even knowing it. So be kind to someone today, especially if they seem to need it. You just might be forming a positive, kind memory that will last them a lifetime. You just might be giving them a cup of cold water, for Jesus’ sake.