DROPLETS

This reflection is inspired by a text message I received from a dear friend. She was sharing thoughts about my reflections and books, but I see her analogy as something applicable to us all.

How many times do we think the little things we do aren’t important?
How often do we feel we don’t make a difference in life?

 

Consider some little acts of love and kindness like…

…holding a door open for a stranger.
…saying a friendly hello to the person in the hallway.
…taking a few minutes to call a widow.
…making cookies for the new family in the neighborhood.
…thanking the leader of your small group.
…sharing how someone’s life impacts yours.

 

Can you see the heart (love) in the puddle of water to the right vs the dry on the left?

 

How do these little acts of love and kindness affect your life? Let’s consider that each of those little things you do for others is represented by a droplet of water. As you keep doing more little things for more people, your droplets begin to form a puddle. Sharing more of God’s goodness, love, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion makes the puddle turn into a stream. Day by day, as you continue touching more lives, the stream will become like a river. Soon God will turn your droplets into a flood, which is a flood of His love that you want to keep sharing with all those you meet. It becomes a way of life.

How do these acts of love and kindness affect the recipient’s life? I believe it affects them in the same way as it does your life. One by one, in those acts of kindness, the droplets of water from different people in their life will form a puddle. As they receive more kindness, their puddle will grow into a stream, and then into a river, as they will be flooded with God’s love.

One by one, people’s hearts will be changed, both the giver and the receiver. We will see the magnitude, depth, and power of God’s love. He works through us all, making His presence and love known and felt by so many.

 

When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” –Exodus 16:14-15 (NIV)

The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. –Exodus 16:35 (NIV)

When the Israelites were wandering in the desert for forty years, God provided little for them in the way of manna. Daily, God would provide just what they needed. God made the little turn into enough to sustain the Israelites for forty years.

 

Photo courtesy of april Xin under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

The same day I was penning this reflection, a deacon, who ministers at a nursing home sent me a text that relates to the little things we do. “One of the aides just came up to me and said, ‘I was sitting around the corner, taking a break, and texting. But I started to listen to what you were saying, and I texted to my friend, I hope you have a nice day.’  I listened to your words about simple kindness. Thank you.”

We never know how God will use our words or actions to grow those droplets into bigger blessings for His glory!

 

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ” –Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

Keep in mind that any act of love and kindness we do for someone is also done unto the Lord. Do you see Christ’s face in all your brothers and sisters?

 

 

 Be encouraged this week to remember…

…that little is big unto the Lord.

…that God turns our little droplets into rivers.

…to be faithful in the little.

 

…that God produces the harvest in our lives.

…that God is working through you.

…to sow seeds of God’s love.

 

Lord, you’re so kind and tenderhearted and so patient with people who fail you! Your love is like a flooding river overflowing its banks with kindness. –Psalm 103:8 (TPT)

 

Note: I might not post a reflection for a week or so to allow more time to work on Book #3! Feel free to come here and read any archives. Thanks!