“I tell you the truth, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain ‘move’, and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Jesus

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone upon the ocean and create a ripple.”  Mother Teresa

Small things make big differences.

You may have noticed that I haven’t written anything for a couple of weeks.  It wasn’t due to a lack of desire, but rather a very small piece of equipment.  Wanna hear the story?  Whether you do or not, I’m going to tell you.

Some time ago I had to get a new power cord for my laptop.  It had a small adapter, perhaps the size of a fingernail, that connected the cord to the laptop.  About three weeks ago I noticed that the adapter was missing.  I looked for it, turning my office and areas in my home upside down, to no avail.  I don’t have a handy Best Buy near me, so I asked my daughter to pick up a packet of adapters.  She did, but none of them fit.  I then ordered what I thought would be the right adapter package from Amazon.  None of them worked either.  Finally, I surrendered and made the trip to Best Buy, an hour away.  The young man who helped me was very kind and helpful.  He also tried numerous adapters, none of which fit.  Puzzled, he shone his light into the outlet connection, and discovered that there was a piece of the adapter which had broken off inside of the port in my laptop. To extricate that piece and repair my device would’ve taken weeks and cost almost as much as a new laptop.  To my chagrin I bit the bullet and bought a new computer.

The lesson was not lost on me.  Not the lesson that I should be more careful with my power source, which is true, but rather a bigger lesson, that small things make big differences.  Whether it be an adapter for a computer, or the kindness shown by a Best Buy employee. This principal holds true in life, and can have either positive or negative effects.

Small words can cut deeply when spoken in spite or anger.  The tongue, as James says in his epistle, is a small part of a body that can have absolutely debilitating and permanently damaging effects on others. Small actions taken in anger, resentment or out of fear can result in lasting pain.  Even seemingly insignificant internal attitudes can shift our energy and cause us to carry a cloud with us, enveloping those with whom we come in contact.

On the other hand, small things can make huge differences in a positive sense.  Think, for example, of the positive effect of a smile on another person. Or consider how much better a day begins with a time of quiet solitude, spent in the Sacred Presence of the Divine.  What about the kind word that is spoken, or maybe a gesture such as a gentle touch on the arm or a hug?

I have a friend who is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.  She never held an important job, or played a significant role in the world, nation, or even community events.  If you asked her, she would say that other than raising her three children she never really did anything that important.  And yet as I observe her, she has an enormous impact on those around her.  She gives a person she knows a ride to church.  She doesn’t gossip.  She takes people that have difficult personalities (let’s be honest, we all know people like that, and want little to do with them) out for lunch.  She is quiet, doesn’t say much, but has a huge impact upon others with her silent kindness.  The most impressive thing about her is that she is so humble she doesn’t even realize what an impact she is having on others.  And if you brought it to her attention—which I have done—she would genuinely deny it.

Consider for a moment a time when someone did something that was seemingly insignificant to them but meant the world to you.  And now think about a time when you did that for another.  Finally, give some thought to a minor matter that is causing you to be disheartened or creating internal conflict and disharmony.  What needs to change?  What about something that you cherish that is small and seemingly insignificant?  What is it?  Why is it?

Both Jesus and Mother Teresa recognize the importance of small things that make big differences.  Those two are pretty significant sources of wisdom.  I invite you to do more than consider their wisdom, follow their example in allowing God to make small changes in your life, with the result being that it will have a ripple effect, and you will make big differences in the lives of others.