Every Thursday, Aaron and I deliver for Meals on Wheels. Yesterday we walked up to Rita’s door. Aaron held the bag of food and saw through the storm door window that Rita was slowly making her way to the door, stooped over her walker.
She paused before opening the door, though, and reached into her pouch attached to the front of her walker. I could see her hand working to grab something and when she removed her hand, I saw what she was after.
Two cookies.
She then unlocked and opened the door, a big smile lighting her face.
“Here,” she said. “I have a cookie for Aaron and for you.”
She handed us the simple cookies. Aaron and I thanked her as she and I talked about how we love plain cookies with no icing or added ingredients.
Her simple act filled her with obvious joy, and it did the same for me.
Rita doesn’t have much but she gave to me and Aaron from what she had.
It reminds me of the widow’s mite that Jesus commended as the greatest gift given on the day that so many were making public displays of their large gifts.
Here was Rita, in her simple house handing us simple cookies.
And I was simply blessed.
Blessed and touched much more than if she had given us a big box of expensive decorated cookies from a popular bakery.
We can all do this every day, you know. We can hand out small acts of kindness that touch people’s lives in ways far more lasting than the big things we often consider to be more meaningful or impressive.
I can find those kindness ways at the grocery store as I offer to take a cart to the drop-off for someone elderly or handicapped…as I smile at people…as I let others go ahead of me…as I chat with a lonely person while we examine the eggs.
And let’s not forget the biggest way that we can impact someone. We can pray for them in the solitude of our homes. We don’t even have to be mobile to exercise that most precious gift of God…the gift that God delights in and will honor in both your life and theirs.
Opportunities are all around us to be like Rita, to give of what we have in ways that are sweetly touching in someone’s life.
Have a very blessed weekend!
I hope you share a cookie or two with someone!
He Said What?! 