It’s the Little Things

Sometimes, when I see all the crazy things happening in the world, I feel so small and powerless in the grand scheme of things. Don’t we all though? Most of us won’t be seen and known by the masses. Most of us will never make world-changing decisions.

Or maybe it’s the simple things that actually do make a difference—calling a friend, chatting with a neighbor, looking the checkout woman in the eye, or snuggling on the couch with our kids. Life is made of little moments. Maybe we are changing the world one small act of kindness at a time. If we love the people in front of us, perhaps they will love the people in front of them, and our lives will ripple out and make an impact we could never have imagined.

Johnny Appleseed was a legendary American pioneer who traveled around planting apple seeds. His hundreds of thousands of tiny acts made a huge impact on our country. Imagine if he had to see the fruit of every tree he planted. He wouldn’t have gotten very far.

We’re planting seeds too—with every act of kindness, every prayer whispered, every call made. Most of us prefer picking ripe fruit to pushing seeds into the dirt. We like results and accomplishments. (Anyone else write down what you’ve already done simply so you can cross it off?) But our job is to scatter the seed. Let it fall. Pray that it takes root. And trust God to bring fruit from our labor.

We just might be changing the world, one tiny seed at a time.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).