Little, But Big

In my usual procrastinatory style I'm here to enter a giveaway shortly before it ends, and to let you know about it with hardly anytime to enter yourself. Dontcha just love me?

Sariqd of La la la laaaahhhh is hosting a giveaway. She has three Magical Munchie Popcorn kits to give to three winners. All you have to do is write a post about a time when someone did a "little" thing for you yet helped you tremendously. Oh, and you only have till Midnight tonight (Sunday the 11th) to get it done and leave Sariqd a comment so she knows you've entered. Got it? Good. Now move out of my way, I've got me some Magical Munchie Popcorn to win!

Little, But Big

For me it is usually the little things that mean the most when it comes to serving others (ok, I mean me). Big acts tend to scare me and make me suspicious, which is sad but it's just how I am. I also consider myself a pretty independent person and don't want big things. But, just one small action from another human being, something that shows me I'm not invisible, or that someone is thinking of me, and cares whether I'm happy or not, well, that is enough to bring me to tears. (Obviously!) Little acts of genuine kindness speak volumes about the person committing them. It shows that they are humble, caring, observant, and selfless. It makes them angels. So many times when a person has done me a small act of kindness they have been an answer to a prayer and that makes them angels in my book.

One instance I particularly remember was the angel who helped me get to my car. I had just given birth to my second child, I was suffering from severe post partum depression, my husband was away on a very long business trip, and I had just started the most difficult church calling I had ever been given. Pablo was a very colicky baby and I was running on very little sleep. Church was over and I was trying to carry a carseat with a baby, a large diaper/church bag, a big binder, and hold my very tiny Cookie's hand to get to my car. Of course I had several people ask if they could help me but I gave them all my standard smile and stiff upper lip as I independently said, "Thanks, but no, I've got it." Inside I was screaming, "Help me, don't listen to me, just help me!" As I approached the heavy doors wondering how I was going to get through them another woman asked me again, "Liz, do you need some help?" Before I could give her my standard smiley answer she said, "Oh, of course you do. Here, give me the baby. Where is your car?" She took the heavy carseat from my arms, pushed the door open with her back and helped me get my little family to my car. Once the babies were all buckled in she gave me a hug and rushed off to help her husband pack up their own 4 little children before I could even say thanks. I was so grateful I cried the whole way home, so glad that someone was willing to look past my strong facade and just help. She only lifted a carseat and a 7 pound baby, but she lifted 300 pounds from my shoulders and my heart. I had been feeling so lonely, so weary, and she made me feel noticed, cared for, and loved. She will never know just how much that meant to me but that is how angels work. They fly in, help where needed, and fly away again without waiting for reward or notice. The action may be little but the love felt is mighty big.