Expressing God's Love to Those Around YouSample

QUIET INFLUENCE

Sometimes life’s most meaningful acts are done quietly, with little fanfare, simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Cindy isn’t a superhero or a community leader with a large network of influence. She’s just an ordinary person who did what was right. As the manager of a funeral home, she’s accustomed to the sadness and unfortunate circumstances surrounding death. But, even for her, this situation was different.

The man’s name was Dennis. He was a homeless veteran whose body had been found in an abandoned hotel. Despite their best efforts, the police hadn’t located any living relatives or friends. This meant Dennis had not only died alone, but he would now be buried alone.

Fortunately, there are programs throughout the country that organize funeral services for homeless veterans. But, at the time, one didn’t exist in Cindy’s community, so she decided to do something. She called a friend. And that friend called a friend.

Eventually, a veteran in town heard about the situation, and he got in touch with a few others. The day of the funeral, dozens of people joined together to show respect to a man they had never met. As a result of Cindy’s quiet efforts, this veteran was honored for his service to our country. And, more importantly, a fellow human being’s life was shown the dignity and respect it deserved.

All around us are opportunities to make a difference. Our efforts likely won’t receive a lot of fanfare, but the really meaningful things in life rarely do. As Jesus reminds us, His kingdom is often found in simple acts of love that go unnoticed by others, but never slip past His watchful eye.