40acts: Ready to ActSample

Act 12: Chocolate Tuesday

It’s a rare person who doesn’t like chocolate, so this one is for lots of people around you. Wherever you go today, spread the love, chocolate style! You’re obviously going to need to work within your budget, but go Fairtrade if you can.

The letter from the eye hospital said to turn up at 12:30 p.m. So, I arrived on time with my 18-month-old daughter who had some trouble in her left eye, and we waited.

And waited.

By 2:30 p.m., we were straying dangerously close to nap time, and I had run out of the supply of snacks I brought to keep her entertained. I was irritable now and began to count the number of people in the waiting room who arrived after us, yet somehow managed to leave before us.

When the doctor finally did see us, the consequences of a stranger in a white coat poking around the eye of a small, tired and hungry child were inevitable. The silent waiting area we returned to was now filled with my daughter’s loud screaming and tears. It felt like the room was glaring at me.

Then a kind lady appeared by my shoulder, reached into her bag and produced a chocolate. She asked if she might give it to my daughter, whose sobbing by now was interrupted by this shiny wrapper. Like a magic pill, this chocolate acted like a mute button for my daughter, reduced my heart rate, and allowed me to walk home feeling blessed by a stranger.

Generosity comes in many forms, but like this lady’s chocolate, even through small acts of generosity, you can be Jesus to someone and transform their day. Matthew 10:42 shows us that even simple gifts are valued by him. 

As you go about your business today, look out for those whose heads are lowered and whose hearts seem down. A chocolate might just make their day.