Little Ripples Become Big Splashes

Little Ripples Become Big Splashes

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.

Zechariah 4:10

Not long ago I met with some dear ladies on the patio of a local restaurant to plan for a fall retreat. While the sun shone on our backs, we dreamed of themes and promotions, our excitement increasing as we shared new ideas, encouraged each other, and built upon the work we’d already done.

I looked around the table of women, a bit in awe to be a part of this group. Many years earlier, my sisters and I attended the conferences put on by this same organization. Every year we would look forward to attending. Even after my sister was diagnosed with cancer, we made a point of going. As she struggled in the midst of her illness, her life’s motto became “choose joy,” a theme taken from one of the conferences we attended. The work of these women I now sat beside rippled out, multiplying and blessing us, even when we were strangers.

I told them about the impact each year’s conference had on me and my sisters, how it spurred us on in our own faith and lives. I shared how, after my sister’s death, the phrase “choose joy” became the tagline for Katie’s Club, the fund set up in her name—a fund that offers girls and women a chance for hope in their lives through financial support for things such as education, housing, and job training. The conference was a ripple from all those years earlier, creating a bigger splash in the lives of those helped by Katie’s Club.

Then one woman said, “You just never know what a difference you can make. You may never know, until heaven, whose life you’ve affected.”

I left thinking about how often our small acts of obedience, kindness, and love can impact others. My life may not be anything exceptional, but the small ripples I make could be enough to spur someone else to make a large splash in their own life, impacting other people I will never know. God can use our small beginnings to bless our families, our friends, and even strangers we may never meet face-to-face.

—Kendra

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

As you go about your regular day, pray over the small actions and decisions you make, asking God to use these small kindnesses to create a ripple effect in others’ lives.