Small act, BIG results.
A year ago, I was in my dorm room. It was the quiet part of my evening - the time I typically spent sipping tea and making a to-do list for the next day, with something light-hearted on Netflix quietly humming in the background. I was picking out an outfit for the morning’s classes when the loud *buzz buzz* of my phone resting on the laminate top of my desk distracted me. My screen lit up, showing a text from one of my close friends.
I finished laying out my outfit. I grabbed my favorite boots off of the shelf and put them by my freshly packed backpack. Pouring myself another cup of tea, I unplugged my phone from the charging cable, and nestled into the couch. Hair in a bun, cozied up in a felt blanket with my steaming mug in hand, I finally checked my notifications. Opening my friend’s text message took my breath away.
“How can I pray for you today?”
I nearly burst into tears.
My evening was nothing extraordinary, and my week hadn’t been either, but that simple text message engraved that moment into my memory forever. My LED screen lit up because I had a notification, but the light of the message itself burned so much brighter.
I can’t tell you how I responded to that text message. I likely asked him to pray for a mind focused on my studies or for strength to make it through another week of college life. I really don’t remember.
Whatever troubles and hardships were going on in my life at that moment - though probably inconsequential - have long been forgotten. My friend’s Christ-like act has not.
Isn’t that reassuring?
I have already forgotten the heartaches and stressors of last year, but I haven’t forgotten God’s love beaming through my friend. A straightforward question deepened relationships - the relationship with my Father and with my friend. The support, encouragement, and love evident in both of these righteous relationships was made more apparent on that normal, quiet evening last year. A small, selfless action produced big results.
Reminds me of how a plain man endured a seemingly simple criminal’s death in an execution far more groundshaking than it appeared.
Small act, big results.
Today, I want to encourage you to shine. You don’t have to follow my friend’s example, but it might be a humble place to begin. Don’t fuss over being lengthy or eloquent. Don’t stress over the means of communication, if your message isn’t delivered face-to-face. I promise, it can be as simple as sending a seven-word text message at the end of the day. The Savior’s love will radiate through your efforts.
Humble yourself, reach out in a small way, and watch our Father pour out his big love.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
