Small and Simple Things

A few months ago I was having a bad day. I was at the grocery store, grumpy, feeling like a jerk cause of something I said earlier, and just really down in the dumps. I was deep in thought mentally beating myself up when I glanced up. A lady walking down the aisle looked at me, and she smiled. Not a sympathetic, “what is going on with HER” smile. Not a polite smile. Not a “wow, she looks stressed but I just need to get past her to the cereal and I don’t want to make this awkward” smile. It was a warm, kind smile. So much so that my first thought was, “Does she know me?” But I’d never seen her before.

I don’t know why she smiled at me. I mean, she could probably tell I was about to burst into tears at any moment, so there’s that. But in that split second that she went out of her way to smile at me, I immediately felt lifted. It was simple. But I felt genuine love and goodness from a stranger.

I think a lot of us often feel we are not enough, that our tiny efforts don’t matter, that we can’t really make a difference. But as Alma taught his son, it really is the “small and simple” that bring about great things!

Last year I had a pretty heavy church calling, and I read Elder Waddell’s talk “Just As He Did” multiple times. He said, “There may be other times when we recognize a need but feel inadequate to respond, assuming that what we have to offer is insufficient. To do just as He did, however, is to minister by giving what we are capable of giving and to trust that the Lord will magnify our efforts to bless our ‘fellow travelers on this mortal journey.’ For some, it may be giving the gift of time and talents; for others, it may be a kind word or a strong back.”

He will magnify our efforts!

Small and simple acts- simple habits, simple kindness, simple wise choices- are never wasted! Ultimately they build upon each other and build us into who we want to be. They matter! I’m sure that lady has NO clue how much her smile meant, that it reminded me of the power of kindness, and that I’m now writing a post about it...

“Because those miracles were worked by SMALL means it did show unto them MARVELOUS works.” Alma 37:11