Every Little Bit Helps…

…so don’t hold back!!!

“Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.“  1 Samuel 17:40

It sounds like a corny cliche…but it really is true, “every little bit does help.”

Most of the time we think that we need to do something really big to bring about change. but that is not always the case.  There is a story told by Jeff Bordon titled “Not Much” that I think emphasizes my point exactly let’s take a moment and  read it together…

With fighter planes flanking its side, the Allied bomber crossed the English Channel, maneuvered its way past German gun turrets, and dropped its load on Berlin. As the convoy started its return flight to England, a group of German fighter planes appeared on the horizon.

The English and American fighter planes tried to keep the Germans from attacking the bomber, but they were unable to stop every enemy plane. One German fighter made its way through the aerial barrage and managed to get the bomber within its range.

The crew of the bomber watched helplessly as tracer bullets began spitting from the German plane. They stared in horror as five bullets, one after the other pierced the body of the bomber and penetrated the fuselage, where the gas tanks were located.

Seeing the damage he had inflicted on the bombers shell, the German fighter pilot turned and headed for home, assuming victory. The crew of the bomber waited for an explosion or a fire to break out. But nothing happened. Not one spark or puff of smoke appeared. The methodical dripping of gas from the tank was the only evidence of the damage to the fuselage.

The bomber managed to land safely at its English airfield. The crew climbed down from the aircraft and carefully removed the shell of the fuselage.

Inside were five nearly perfect bullets. They hadn’t exploded; they had merely crumpled. The crew took the bullets back to their barracks for inspection.

When the soldiers opened four of the bullets, they found something amazing. There was no gunpowder inside. They were completely empty.

When they opened the fifth bullet they found something extraordinary. rolled into a tiny wad inside the bullet was a note that read:

We are Polish POWs–forced to make bullets in factory.
When guards do not look, we do not fill with powder. It is not much, but is best we can do. Please tell family we are alive.

The note was signed by the four Polish prisoners of war.

Question: how many opportunities do we miss out on because we feel like we don’t have a lot to offer or give. I even wonder how many peoples lives remain unchanged and unaffected because we hold back the little things we could do that would make a difference.

The truth be told, God always uses the small things we do to make big things happen. Don’t believe me…take a closer look at the bible and you will find stories like David a teenager armed with nothing more than a few stones, and how he stood up to a bear, a lion and even a giant and won. Or what about that little kid with the small amount of fish and bread that Jesus used to feed the multitudes.

Question: What would your Community begin to look like if you began to do some of the little things.  Things like smiling and saying hello to your neighbors…little things like putting the shopping carts where they belong instead of leaving them roaming across the parking lot…little things like…you get the picture.

The P.O.W.’s in the story didn’t have much to offer, but they did what  little bit they could do and it not only made a major difference it contributed to them being rescued.

Here’s the challenge:  This week I wonder if we can discipline ourselves to look for the little things we can do.  One small act of kindness can make a world of difference for someone else.

So don’t hold back because “every little bit helps.”

(hint: you can start right now by leaving a kind word  =) )