THE LITTLE GLASS JAR

Every good gift and every perfect

gift is from above, and cometh

down from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness,

neither shadow of turning.

James 1:17

Through the years, I have learned that our acts of kindness don't have to be big and huge events. We often think what we do for others has no meaning unless we buy something fancy, or something that is very costly. I'm sure there is a place and time for those things, but for the most part, it's the smaller things that seem to make the bigger difference.

I recall those things our children made for us in elementary school for appropriate occasions. They were so excited to bring those things home to us. Many of those things were cards while some were items with magnets for my refrigerator. I still have a couple of Christmas decorations with children's pictures on them. I've always loved things that make memories and that warm the heart.

As adults, we are more in a position of giving rather than receiving. I find it so much fun surprising someone with a little piece of meaningful, loving...almost nothingness. There are times when we have no idea what comes of those things, especially when given in secrecy.

Since Brian's Home going, for some reason, my Tuesdays and Thursdays are tougher than the rest of the week days. In the hospital it was on a Tuesday Brian turned critical and then on Thursday morning, went to Heaven. This morning, as I write, is a Thursday, and has seemed to be off in a bit of a negative way in that I couldn't even decide what to eat for breakfast.

I decided for breakfast, to fall back on the old familiar scrambled eggs and toast. Half-heartedly, I went through the motions. I went to the refrigerator for a familiar Smoky Mountain jar of jelly. In the process of shuffling some things around in the door, there in the back was a small glass jar, the kind often used for canning. It had a brown substance in it and then it dawned on me that in recent months, our daugher-in-love, Jenna, had brought apple butter to us from a batch she had recently made. Brian didn't much care for apple butter like I do but, there it was...my personal jar of apple butter, made and then later delivered with love and now, on this Thursday morning, just as I needed an apple butter hug.

The gift wasn't costly, but helped and I knew that God had seen it all, looking down the road to this Thursday morning in my kitchen. His leading was in it all the way, whether Jenna was aware of being used by God to be an encourager or not. That's how He works, behind the scenes, but directing things all the way from the giver to the receiver. How great is that? By the way, I wonder if God likes apple butter as much as I do.

Thank You Father, for the opportunities we have to work with You in being a blessing in the lives of others. We may never know results, but You do and that's what counts. May we be alert when You prompt us to touch another life on Your behalf.. In Jesus' precious name...Amen