We all have notions of what is important and what is not.I want to impress upon my consciousness that apparently insignificant and unimportant things can be very significant and meaningful.
I learned this lesson a few years ago, but I need to make it part of my conscious awareness. About six years ago, when I worked in the Dade program, I had a patient named Angela who lived alone. She was 90 years old. I was her only constant visitor. Every Friday, she would wait near the window, looking through the blinds for my arrival. One Friday, I found her extremely upset and distressed because her TV had stopped working. Television was Angela’s life line. She always kept it ‘on’ to mask the monotony of loneliness.
Angela was on a limited budget and the thought of paying for a repairman bothered her so much. When I walked in, she began crying. She told me that her TV had stopped working and if I could repair it. Being totally mechanically challenged, I didn’t dare; however, when Angela went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, I just looked around, and to my surprise, I found out that the TV was not plugged into the outlet. I plugged it in, and voila, “The Prize is Right” came on! “Angela, it is a miracle,” I cried out in excitement.
She could not believe her eyes. She hugged me tightly and said: “You made my day; you have no idea what this means to me; I thank God for sending you here.”
That day, I realized that a simple act like plugging in a TV can make a “huge difference” in someone’s life. I also determined never to judge the impact of my behavior on others based on my perceptions, because, what I consider to be insignificant could be very significant for somebody else.
The thought of “Almighty God” being concerned about an old lady’s television and “sending” me to her may be considered ‘faith-stretching.’ But may be not! The God who adorns the fragile lilies of the field and takes care of the tiny sparrows of the air, is equally, if not more concerned about Angela’s TV too.
There is a saying that “when a butterfly flaps its wings in San Francisco, weather changes in Singapore.” It is a poetic way of saying that every little act can make a difference in somebody’s life, somewhere in the world, like the ripple effect of a small stone thrown in the middle of a lake causing waves all around.
My prayer today is that the Jesus who takes note of the widow’s mite impress upon me once and for all that everything I do is important in the eyes of God, so that I may do it with compassion and devotion; that I won’t look at anything casually, or treat anyone callously; that I will pay attention to every event, relish every experience, embrace every moment and cherish the person right in front of me.
