I Noticed You

I noticed you.

The youth girl that quietly went out of your way to stand beside the girl who was standing alone.

The mother whose child was crying because he was tired, and you were so patient with him.

The youth boy who went about unobtrusively picking up chairs and running the vacuum in the fellowship hall.

The school board member who always had time to talk and answer questions and never made the teachers feel like a burden when they needed something fixed.

The upper-grader who let the younger student catch him at recess.

The single girl who reaches out to others with an open heart and delicious food.

The grandma who listens to the chatter of those around her without murmuring a word to make them feel judged, even though she probably knows all the answers.

The person who wrote their name down to help with Bible School, even though it was out of their comfort zone.

The woman who has helped plan a hundred baby showers and bridal showers, and signs up to help with one more.

I noticed you.

And what I noticed about you was God.

Or maybe I should say the grace of God.

Those are small things. I know you believe they are. But it takes a special dedication to serve God in those small ways that don’t get a lot of recognition. It’s those little every day choices that show where your heart is set. And I just wanted to let you know someone noticed—even if it was just me.

But it’s not just me. It’s our Heavenly Father, too.

I wish I could tell you how many people I’ve heard say they don’t have any talents. I’m not going to go into why I don’t believe that because I’d probably end up writing a book, but it’s the very same people that I see doing so many little things for God, and as all talents are a gift of God, I think we could agree that they are indeed talented.

Maybe you struggle with feeling used. I’ve heard some of you say that, too. That you are always left with the dirty work behind the scenes, getting scant thanks for all the times you’ve volunteered to lead the prayer or been recognized for all baseboards you’ve cleaned or the toys you picked up off the schoolyard after the potluck.

But I want to tell you that I think it is just such acts that God is looking for. Your ability and willingness mean so much to Him. You can read about it in Matthew 25, where the man who had one talent hid it in the ground. You can see how he was blind to his own potential—to the reaches of his own gift, just like you sometimes are.

And don’t forget the words written in Luke 16:10a: “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much.” I don’t know who needs to hear this, but don’t weary of well-doing. Don’t lose your smile because you start listening to the lies of the Evil One telling you that you are unimportant and without a purpose. He would like nothing better than for you to believe this. Because, with that belief, you’ll start to give up. You’ll start thinking your choices don’t matter. You’ll stop living the life of open-hearted giving and start turning inward, start becoming resentful towards God who loves you and created you to fill such a special place for Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” A number of other translations use the word encourage rather than comfort. This is something I would like to do better in. I want to encourage all of you to stay true in the little things. Choices are rarely insignificant, even if they seem so.

So tomorrow, when you choose to put down your phone and read a story to your four-year-old, take courage that your choice means something. Someone notices.

When you take a moment to pray for a blessing on one of your brothers or sisters, it means something. That’s being faithful—and to say it is “in the least” is our human judgement, not God’s.

When you are stuck in the kitchen doing the dishes again, that’s faithfulness.

And when you take the time to encourage those you see around you, thank them for all the ways they serve, that’s faithfulness, too.

It’s never been the grand gestures and glorious gifts God has looked for. It’s always been the small things that come from a sincere heart. It isn’t the big things that will win us a place in Paradise, but the little things that will lead us all the way Home.