Little acts of kindness can mean a lot, especially to little people

Skooter reporting 04/27/12

Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge, let your learning lead to action.

This week I’m going to tell you a little story about a teacher who loved children. Here goes – the teacher’s name was Pat and she loved kids, a type of personality that a teacher should hold. She quickly volunteer when the call went out for a Sunday school teacher for the five-year-olds. There, she met Andy. He was a lovable boy, but he lacked confidence and he rarely smiled.

One Sunday while the class was coloring a Bible scene, this boy Andy became so disturbed he ripped his paper in two, hurled it on the floor, and crawled under the craft table. Pat thought, I go where he goes! And she too crawled under the table, where she found Andy grumbling, “You’re so dumb. You can’t even color in the lines.” He seemed surprised to see Pat join him under the table.

Pat quickly said, “Who said you always have to stay in the lines? Some of the smartest, most creative kids I’ve ever known didn’t color inside the lines.”

Andy stared at her. This was obviously a new idea to him. Then Pat said, “I like your picture. Can I tape it back together? And keep it?” Andy was shocked but finally said, “I guess.” While Andy watched, Pat taped the pieces together and carefully put the picture in her satchel. As he returned to the craft table, Pat overheard him say, “I like coloring!”

As I said, little acts of kindness can mean a lot, especially to “little people.”

But be ye doers of the word, and not bearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22

Taken from God’s Little Devotional Book for Leaders