Picture the scene….
A stressed, busy girl hurries through a crowded downtown library. Focused solely on finding an empty table or a secluded corner, she ignores the many faces scattered throughout the room. Suddenly, she is napped back to reality by a kind voice saying, "You dropped something."
She spins around looking at the floor, searching for the elusive object, whatever it might be. As she realizes that sh is not actually missing anything, the friendly voice continues, "You dropped your smile!" She cracks a smile. "There it is."
My day continued as usual, but that brief encounter reminded me to smile the rest of the day. As evening rolled around and I found time to process I wondered if there might be something more to learn from that encounter.
I am leaving my life in America because I want to make a difference in the world. I wonder, though, am I missing something in the here and now? In my eagerness to go out and take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, am I neglecting my chance to make a difference where I am now?
One of my favorite quotes says,
"I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to my fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
I will probably never see that man in library again. He did not neglect to influence my day. What difference can I make in people's lives if I took the time? I pray that each day I will be a living sacrifice, that I will not forget the person I pass in the library.
I do not want to miss the opportunities that God has in store for me tomorrow!
