This comes from One-Minute Devotions from Guideposts.  My beloved and I were both moved to tears as he read it this morning – thought y’all might like some praising tears too this morning.

By Pam Kidd: “The death of a friend turned my world gray. To add to my loneliness, our daughter, Keri was studying in China. Now Christmas was fast approaching.

One day, my son, Brock, called and said, “Hey, Mom, my lunch appointment just canceled. Come meet me at the mall.”

The mall was shiny and bright with Christmas cheer. I felt like a dreary fog dampening the merriment.  “Excuse me,” someone said, “I believe you dropped this.” A smiling girl handed me my glove.

A few steps more and I was engulfed in a hug. It was Virgie, who lives at our church’s home for people with disabilities. Up ahead, I spotted Brock, his eyes crinkled in delight at Virgie’s onslaught.

We ate a quick lunch, then strolled through the mall and talked. “Look at that poor tree, Brock,” I said, as we passed the Christmas Store. “It looks like Charlie Brown’s tree.” Its slightly bent trunk pointed toward the sky, but its branches were irregular and spaced far apart.

A quick hug later, Brock was on his way back to work. As I walked to my car, I passed a little girl singing “Jingle Bells.” At the door to the parking lot, a teenager rushed ahead of me and opened the door. “Have a happy Christmas,” he said.

Sitting in the car, I mentally retraced my steps: the fetched glove, the hearty hugs, Brock’s attention, the child’s song, the boy at the door. Without even knowing it, each one of those people had done something that mattered to me.

The tiniest kindness really does matter, I thought to myself.

I had errand to run, and it was growing dark by the time I neared home. When I turned into the driveway, I noticed something on our front porch. It was the tree I’d seen at the mall. There was a note attached: “Merry Christmas from Charlie Brown.”

*Father, Your everlasting kindness offers Christmas hope to us all. Thank you. — Pam Kidd”

And as Jerry finished reading I thought silently, ‘a smile to a stranger really does matter. Perhaps not alone but what if it is blended with other tiny kindnesses of others — then it really would matter.’
I want to remember that today.

Brave the Dark with The LIGHT Today,
Kathie