Making a difference in other’s lives

Something deep inside all of us wants to “make the world a better place”. We like how we feel when we have helped another person with a problem or just enabled them to enjoy something they might have missed without us.
We want our lives to count. You don’t have to find a cure for cancer to fulfill this need to do something important. But at the end of every day somebody should be able to say “You made a difference in my life”. Make a child smile. Be kind to an underpaid overworked waitress. Express empathy to someone who has an unexpected loss. Encourage a friend facing unwanted transitions.
Be aware of the “small” daily opportunities to express love to those who need a kind word, a sincere smile, an attentive ear.
I am so fortunate to spend my days serving grace-based hospitality to guests who come to Whitestone Country Inn seeking a “sanctuary for the soul”. Room journal entries, notes, facebook posts and face-to-face exchanges let me know that their lives are better because they came.
William James said “The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that willl outlast it”. Although his words may lift our thoughts to grandiose deeds, the greater truth is that any day carries many opportunities to touch eternity with our actions. Jesus said in Matthew 10:42 “If you do something as insignificant as giving a cup of cold water to one of the least of these, you will surely have an eternal reward”.
I hope youdiscover a cure for cancer. But while we’re waiting for the big deal don’t miss all the “little” ways to make your life count. “The smallest good act today is the captive of a stragic point from which, in a few months later, you may go on to victories you never dreamed of.” C.S. Lewis
Be alert. Be faithful in little things. Express your love. It makes a difference.