Last evening I received an email from another provider who had just seen a patient I’d seen once 9 years ago. She wrote this gentleman still remembered our visit and my kindness. She said he gives me a large part of the credit he is still clean and sober 9 years later.
I’m not telling you this story to toot my own horn, because, the truth is, most days I probably get things wrong more often than I get them right, when dealing with people. But somehow this one day, by God’s grace, I must have gotten it right.
No, I’m telling you this, because we each need to realize little things can count in big ways. I have no idea what I said to this man and, honestly, I don’t remember him at all, but something I said or did made an impression on him, enough so that it has helped him stay sober all these years.
My friend, Mike Temple, who writes a daily devotional, The Open Wordh, this morning told the story of a shipwreck caused by a clogged oil filter. It’s sometimes takes only a small thing to determine the course of large ship, for good or for bad.
The same is true with people. You may never know how something you say affects another person, how some small thing you do may alter their journey through life.
James 3:5-6 warns “the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”
A tongue can wound or it can heal. Our words can sear or they can soothe. They can drive someone away from Christ or steer them into His arms. The choice is up to us.
It only takes a small rudder to turn a ship and sometimes it takes just a single word or a kind smile to point another in the right direction.
Little things matter. Little words count. Proverbs 15:23 says, “…it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” This morning may God give us the grace to say the right thing at the right time.
Today, let’s follow the advice of the old children’s song to “be careful little tongue what you say…” After all, you never know who may be listening.
What a wonderful story. It makes me think of Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” and Matthew 25:45 “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” We never know who we may be speaking with or what affect our words and actions are having. Thank you for sharing this.
You’re welcome.