A Small Gesture

February 19, 2025 by Amy Byrd

We may not be able to help the whole world be a better place today, but we could start with the people right in front of us? Kind of like trying to clean the whole house and realizing that the sock on the floor by your feet is probably the easiest place to start.

There was a time in my life when my heart felt like a phone with too many apps running at once—completely overwhelmed and glitching. Nothing seemed to help. But then, on a completely ordinary day, one of our friends, like a superhero in sweatpants, dropped off Din Din for our whole family. No need to come inside or make small talk—just a simple text that dinner was waiting on the front porch, giving us space while still making sure we knew they were there for us.

I cried, not because the dinner was a magical cure for our problems (trust me, it wasn't --but it was yummy), but because I had just prayed for God to help us. And then our friend showed up. It wasn’t the solution to everything, but it was like a virtual hug in casserole form, and in that moment, I truly felt seen by God.

The thing is, you don’t need to know someone’s whole story to love and help them. Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference—like making that phone call you’ve been putting off, sending that card you wish you’d get in the mail instead of just more bills, or leaving a thoughtful comment on her social media. You can even swing by with her favorite coffee just to say “Hi, I see you!” or pick a flower and leave it where she can spot it and think, “Huh, that’s nice.”

I truly believe that when we find ourselves in the "seat of suffering" (and let’s be honest, everyone’s got a reservation there at some point), the kindness we’ve shared with others often finds its way back to us, like a boomerang.

Judgment? We’ll leave it at the door, and let gentleness flow through us like a freshly brewed cup of coffee on a Monday morning. We can take today as a chance to show someone a little less judgment and a lot more Jesus. It might just be the best thing we do all day!