Small & Simple Things

Tonight at a church meeting I was reminded of the difference that can be brought about by small and simple things. In Alma 37:6-7 it says, "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls."


As I sat there thinking about the small acts in my life I realized that it does not take much at all to lift a spirit or to serve the Lord. Immediately two people came into mind. My great friend Kourtney and our neighbor Rob. When I had moved into our apartment after Kent and I had just been married I was oblivious to the need I had for friendship, but every day as I drove in and out of that apartment complex I would see this woman with the most friendly smiling face who would take the time to smile and wave at me. She didn't jump in front of the car or bang down my door to meet me, but very simply she showed me that she was kind and accepting of me as a newcomer. She made an impact in my life before I ever got to know her and call her my friend. 


Interestingly enough that is how things have been this last year in my new home. Every morning as I took Braxton to and from the bus stop this neighbor would drive by after taking his kids to and from school and he would make it a point to wave to me. I found myself craving that fleeting moment of attention everyday. In fact to the point that for a very short time it began to worry me. After such a warm and kind reception from a total stranger Kent and I decided to stop by with some Christmas cookies and from there we have been thrilled to get to know him and his wife just a little. We look forward to getting to know them even better! 


Neither of these individuals set out to change their world in an instant, but in an instant they did change mine. You never really know how far a little kindness will go. Another great friend that has set an example for me is my friend Kristen. The first thing I EVER heard from her mouth when we first came to our new ward was in a quiet whisper, "I REALLY like your shoes!" While those are great shoes I have watched her many times give these same very genuine compliments to total strangers. She too is an example of simply loving others.


Think about it. In an instant you hold the key to turning around anyone's day by letting your goodness and light show. The other day I was at the post office listening to a woman get mad at the post clerk for a legal policy that the clerk had nothing to do with. He was just the deliverer of bad news. After the woman stormed off the clerk said, "Well who can I piss off next?" I came to the desk and said with a smile on my face, "sorry that's not going to happen! I just need to mail this." I tried to lighten his mood a little and I can't say that it worked, but at least in a little way I did try. 


If you think long enough you will begin to see that it is the little things that matter most. Think of your hero. The person you love and adore. What was the last high dollar gift they gave you............? Most likely they have not given you anything all that expensive. It is most often their time and energy that you appreciate! When I think of one of my great hero's, my Grandma Holdaway, I think of how she would bring the family together for parties and all the love and service she would put into those events, but were those the reasons I loved and adored her? No! It was in those small moments when she would put her arms around me and tell me how much she loved me. It was her taking the time to teach me how to sew. When I think of the love my parents showed me it was in those times when my mom would sit down and read to me. It was when my dad would help me with my homework. It was coming home from a date and knowing my mom (no matter how tired) would listen to me and have joy with me. 


As a mother I realize that more often than not all my boys need is to sit on my lap and read a story. All they want is their dad and I to sit down and play a game, watch a movie, or play with toys together. Five minutes of car crash rally is enough for them to feel loved, and secure. Knowing that their mom and dad love each other because they kiss each other when dad comes home is all that they need. Being secure in the knowledge that there with be someone there to put band-aids on hurts and pull the covers up at night is enough for them. 


I sometimes find myself getting caught up in the notion that I want to have a big and grand and amazing impact on the world, but I can't be amazing in the world until I learn that I AM grand and I can make amazing impacts in my home. Anyone can be a teacher, construction worker, dentist, or doctor who wants to be, but I am the ONLY mom that my boys have. If anything ever should happen to me someone could try and fill my shoes, but no one can truly replace a dedicated loving parent. This great quote seems to wrap it all up for me, "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak". ~Hans Hofmann, Introdcution to the Bootstrap, 1993 So what is unnecessary in your life that you need to replace? Where can you simplify your life to bring more peace and joy to others? Think about this and make an amazing effort to change the world around you one encounter at a time!