Imagine a ten year old girl and a twenty dollar bill. It is “burning a hole in her pocket”!

She is excited to go shopping. She takes her time, carefully selecting several items in the craft section for an art project. It was hard to decide. Finally she made her choices and went to check out. Her items totaled just over nine dollars. The cashier handed her a crisp ten dollar bill and some change.

Once in the car, she took the items out of the bag and began describing to me her creative process. We joined a line of cars exiting the parking lot. As we neared the front of the line, she spontaneously rolled down her window to greet a homeless man standing on the curb. She handed him her ten dollar bill and wished him luck!

“He needs that money more than I do,” she announced as we headed home.

A small act of kindness from a big heart.

Did it make a difference?

It did to her. I trust that it did to him also.

In 1972 a meteorologist from MIT, Edward Lorenz, wrote a scientific paper describing what is now called “the butterfly effect”. In it he describes how tiny, insignificant movements or actions can have a significant impact on millions of people. “Do small things with great love,” said Mother Teresa. Our small acts of kindness, a word of affirmation, sharing what we have with others – these make a difference!

The stresses of the pandemic, recent inflation, war in Ukraine, and ongoing political tensions are just a few contributors to the pressure cooker world in which we live. Fear of change and scarcity contribute to our desire to hold on tightly to what we have. A spirit of generosity makes a difference in how we see ourselves and others. When we engage in acts of kindness, however small, we imitate Jesus Christ who walked in love. Let us “be kind and tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:32). Let us be the change we want to see in our community!

The weekly Church Corner is provided by the Plateau Ministerial Association. Views expressed by individual pastors do not necessarily represent the PMA as a whole. For more information, contact PMA President Pastor Keith Marshall at pastorkeithmarshall@gmail.com.