Yesterday morning, I cast my vote for President of the United States. I went home and hugged my girls, took a deep breath, and started baking. Sometime last week I decided I would spend election day baking Friendship Bread with my girls. The recipe I use is a family favorite in our home. It makes two loaves of the most delicious bread you've ever tasted. (Which is why every time we've made it we have always kept both loaves for ourselves, ha!) The intention of it, though, is that the first loaf is for you and the second is meant to be given away.
So we made several batches of Friendship Bread yesterday. I put them in small bags to deliver to a few of our neighbors with a handwritten note about showing love and respect to those around us and expressing how truly glad I am that they are our neighbor. It was such a small gesture, and I could feel the smallness of it. We got home and I asked Josh if what I had done was silly. He assured me it wasn't.
Today I woke up to such a divided world that I needed to reach further. I baked two more loaves. There is a family down the street from us that has a very different lifestyle and worldview from ours. I don't say that to imply ours is better - they are wonderful people - it's just different. I felt compelled to extend a small act of kindness to them on a day when I expect they are feeling discouraged and downcast and maybe even afraid.
But on my way home tonight I didn't feel silly or small. This time I felt strong and I felt powerful. Like maybe what I had just done was the most powerful thing I could've possibly done today.
Anyway, most days my life is small. My reach out into the world is short and limited in this season of life and some days I feel helpless to impact the world positively. Thankfully, I find deep meaning in my smallness and I know that what looks like smallness to others (and some days to me) actually adds up to the greatest work I'll probably ever do. (Not the only great work I'll ever do, though.) This is a season that God is using to refine me, humble me, and to teach me about loving people right where I am, in whatever way that I can. He is giving me ideas on how to best use what little reach I do have, and to use it for as much good as I can right now. Mother Teresa said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love", and it is basically my motto these days. Tiny act. Great love.
So we made several batches of Friendship Bread yesterday. I put them in small bags to deliver to a few of our neighbors with a handwritten note about showing love and respect to those around us and expressing how truly glad I am that they are our neighbor. It was such a small gesture, and I could feel the smallness of it. We got home and I asked Josh if what I had done was silly. He assured me it wasn't.
Today I woke up to such a divided world that I needed to reach further. I baked two more loaves. There is a family down the street from us that has a very different lifestyle and worldview from ours. I don't say that to imply ours is better - they are wonderful people - it's just different. I felt compelled to extend a small act of kindness to them on a day when I expect they are feeling discouraged and downcast and maybe even afraid.
But on my way home tonight I didn't feel silly or small. This time I felt strong and I felt powerful. Like maybe what I had just done was the most powerful thing I could've possibly done today.
Anyway, most days my life is small. My reach out into the world is short and limited in this season of life and some days I feel helpless to impact the world positively. Thankfully, I find deep meaning in my smallness and I know that what looks like smallness to others (and some days to me) actually adds up to the greatest work I'll probably ever do. (Not the only great work I'll ever do, though.) This is a season that God is using to refine me, humble me, and to teach me about loving people right where I am, in whatever way that I can. He is giving me ideas on how to best use what little reach I do have, and to use it for as much good as I can right now. Mother Teresa said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love", and it is basically my motto these days. Tiny act. Great love.
Tiny act. Great love.
Tiny act. Great love.
Your intentionality in loving & living inspires me always. 💕
ReplyDeleteThere is a Hebrew saying that gives me great comfort and also strength when I feel that my reach and my actions are too small.
ReplyDeleteA roundabout translation would be "when you save one, you save the world"...
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