Small things matter

Jordan attending Award Day

I was talking to my very dear friend today about a gift her mom and dad gave me on my 50th birthday a few years ago. It was a small box and inside was some pretty purple paper, my name, a sweet note and a lot of quarters. This small precious gift impacted me in many ways. It had a purpose and it came from the heart.
My oldest daughter is very quiet and studies hard. She doesn't text often or talk a lot on the phone, she isn't obsessed with facebook. What she does have is a heart for serving others. She loves to help others in any way she can. She studies hard to maintain a 4.0. Last week this quiet girl, who does not draw attention to herself was honored with several awards at her school. One of them being the NJHS Service Award.
Why do I share these stories? To show others that small things matter.
Some people believe to make a difference you have to give the biggest gift, donate the most money, work on the biggest service project, be the loudest so you can be heard, be in charge. If you think this way you my friend have it all wrong.
My friends mom gave me a simple box with some quarters in it. A simple gift that had a huge impact on me and the way I see certain things. My daughter who quietly studies hard and serves others in her own small way because it is her heart and not for any type of recognition did not go unnoticed. Her teachers and peers noticed.
A few years ago for Mothers Day, my oldest son burned a cd for me with all of my favorite songs. One of the songs was very special because it was "our" song. It is my favorite gift from him. A small gift that meant a whole lot.
When Hug Away started out, in my mind to be successful I thought we needed to be the biggest and the best. Oh my, my, my. The lessons I learned from our first year. We raised enough money to offer four families grants. Oh I was so disappointed! I wanted bigger donors, so we could offer bigger grants and also help the orphans! The fact is those four grants, as small as they were made a big difference to those four families. We didn't have our "Hope for Orphans" ministry last year but I hope this year people will realize that $1 makes a difference when you add it up with all the other $1!
A kind word, an act of kindness, a smile, a hug, a small donation, just being there. These are small gestures that can make a big difference in somenes life.
You can make a difference in a persons life and in this world. Small things matter....a lot.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35