Little Things That Make A Big Difference
By Steve and Claudia Goodman

A knee-high conversation

The afternoon seemed to drag on and on as the family eagerly awaited the arrival of Elder Mark Goodman from his mission in Russia.  Many had driven all day to be there in time to welcome him home.  But when they arrived at the airport, they discovered that his plane had been delayed three hours—not that long after a two-year wait, but an eternity to a certain four-year old boy.  Alex had been calm as long as his wiggly little body could permit.  Finally it had gotten the better of him as he dashed up and down the jet way where no one but passengers were permitted.  His frazzled mother was almost at the end of her rope, since her husband had been unable to come and help.  She was trying in vain to cope with him plus his energetic little sister, even though she was six months pregnant.  The rest of the family was preoccupied watching every passenger that sauntered down the jet way who might be wearing a badge and failed to notice her predicament. 

Just then Paul arrived with his gentle wife and two angelic little girls, who stood serenely with the others, the model of perfect behavior.  Their cute little outfits and freshly combed hair seemed a stark contrast to the way Christy felt her children behaved, and her cheeks burned with humiliation as she unsuccessfully chased Alex off the jet way again.  Without a word Paul knelt down, smiled and called, “Alex, have you caught any bugs lately?”  Alex, spellbound by such undivided attention, dropped to his knees beside Paul, his antics forgotten.  For fifteen minutes he unfolded to Paul all his deepest secrets—about bugs and spiders and fascinating snakes—while Paul listened with wrapped attention.  Only the shouts of “Welcome home, Mark!” broke the spell. 

It has been eight months now, but Alex still talks fondly of Uncle Paul, especially since he received a cool bug in the mail Paul recently caught just for him. 

The little things we do can make such a big difference to someone small and seemingly insignificant. 

Life of the Party behind the Scenes

The day of the big open house arrived much sooner than I was ready for it.  I was totally preoccupied with how much remained to be done.  The biggest problem was that there was no one to serve the refreshments, since the people I had asked were unavailable at the last minute.  And now it was too late to find anyone else.  I simply had more than I could manage with cleaning the house, putting up decorations, playing with the grandchildren, and formatting the program.  I would simply have to serve the refreshments myself. 

Then there was the phone, ringing itself off the hook again.  Would it never stop?  Reluctantly I grabbed the receiver.  “Hello, Goodmans,” I said distractedly.

“Hello,” came a quiet voice at the other end.  It was Shawna, a woman in our ward who I knew and respected, although I had never done anything with her.  Why would she be calling?  Then I remembered that her husband had been in the hospital for several weeks now with an acute illness.  I hadn’t even been to visit him yet.  Had he taken a turn for the worse?

But Shawna caught me off guard by asking if there was anything she could do to help with the open house.  I couldn’t believe my ears.  How could someone facing such difficult circumstances be offering to help me?  At first I was hesitant, not wanting to impose, but here was a golden opportunity, and I really was in a bind.  I decided to chance it and asked Shawna how she would feel about helping with the refreshments for part of the time.  To my amazement she said she would be delighted and had served at many wedding receptions in the past.  She even had a punchbowl she could bring.  She also mentioned that she would come early with dinner for the entire family!  It sounded a lot better to me than the pizza I had intended to order. 

Shawna not only served us a delicious hot meal, but she kept the refreshment table running smoothly the entire night single-handedly and even stayed to clean up and mop the floor afterward while the family celebrated.  She left as quietly as she came, when all the work was done.  I was not the only one who marveled at her selfless service, when her own needs were so much greater than ours.  Because of her sensitive willingness to give, the open house was a tremendous success, and all of us were blessed by her love. 

The little things we do can make such a big difference to someone in need. 

In the Twilight Zone

A ninety-two-year old man lay ill in the hospital.  He had enjoyed a long, full life, although the past several years had been lonely for him, since his wife had died a long time ago.  In his earlier days he had played the fiddle well.  His technique was pretty rusty by the time we met him, but my husband Steve, being a professional violinist himself, became an instant admirer of Frank’s fiddling and listened to him play with enthusiasm, in spite of the out-of-tune notes and squeaky phrases.  Steve then sat patiently while Frank recounted his missionary experiences among the Navajo Indians seventy years ago and even learned a Navajo word, “Yuh-ta-hey.” 

Now as Frank lay in a coma on the brink of death, it was Steve’s turn to play for him.  He took his violin to the hospital and played the hymns and fiddling tunes Frank loved so well.  Frank had been in a coma for several days and had not spoken to anyone.  But as Steve greeted him with “Yuh-ta-hey” and began to play, Frank opened his eyes and smiled weakly.  “I know you,” he whispered.  He spoke to Steve briefly—the last words he would utter in this life—then paused to listen to the music, the smile still lingering on his withered face. 

The little things we do can make such a big difference to someone at the crossroads. 

Make a difference to someone

With all the big, important things in our lives, let us never forget to take time for the little things that can make all the difference to those around us.  Like our daughter says, “Don’t frown, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile!”  Usually it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

“Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.  –D&C 64:33