As some of you who read the FP prayer forum know, my dad is dying from small cell rectal cancer. When Holly and I visited him and my mom recently, I found it hard to put into words all I wanted to share with him. And so, after we left, I started writing a letter to my dad. 

As I've been sorting through 35 years of memories of how much my dad has done for me, I've noticed something strange. The areas of life that we label "big and important"--  like my dad's education, his career and his accomplishments -- don't come to mind. But the little moments of life that we call "insignificant"-- like a two-minute conversation we had after a game of checkers when I was five years old -- are unforgettable. 

Little acts done in love can make a big impression.

The specific instance that made me realize this was when I asked my dad and mom for a banjo for Christmas. Why was I crazy enough to want a banjo? Two reasons: Dueling Banjos and Kermit the Frog's Rainbow Connection. (Watch Kermit here.) I never thought they'd actually get me one. Expensive. Impractical. A waste. But to my own shock and delight, I actually got a banjo for Christmas.

My mayfly career as a banjo player lasted about three days. Then that banjo went up to the attic, forgotten for years. Was it a big deal at the time? No. My parents never harassed me for not pursuing music further or for wasting their money. I'm sure they didn't think much of that incident over the years, but strange as it may seem, I did. 

Why? Because that "forgettable" act of giving me a banjo spoke volumes to my heart. Through that banjo my parents were saying to me, "We love you so much we're willing to take the one in a kazillion chance that you'll become the world's next great banjo player. We're willing to sacrifice to buy you something that could tap into your (very well-hidden) musical talent because we want you to reach your full potential." 

And now, as my dad lies dying, I'm not thinking of the big stuff. I'm remembering the little stuff, the banjos and checker games that have impacted my life though my dad never realized it at the time.

That's why we shouldn't let the little stuff slide during the daily grind. Why should we go to such lengths to be kind to that crazy driver or share a genuine smile and show heartfelt concern for that customer at work? We should consistently show Christ's love in the little things because sometimes it makes a bigger impact than we're aware of.

Scripture more or less says the same thing. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2). Think about the encouragement from this verse. Little people like you and me can have a big impact through little acts of Christ's love.

The best part is, because God is sovereign, we don't have to panic about being in the right place at the right time to accomplish His will. But in our "average/normal" days we just need to do the little stuff consistently, by showing His love. We cast the seeds, He makes them grow. 

"Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone" --Proverbs 25:15