And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
- Matthew 10:42
A few days ago, I was out for an early morning run around the block. I had earbuds in and, with the sun not yet up, didn’t expect to see anybody else before I was finished. So I was a little startled when I faintly heard somebody calling out to me over the sound of the podcast I was listening to.
Taking my earbuds out and turning around, I saw a teenager sitting across the street by a stop sign waiting for the school bus. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a water bottle and held it out.
“’Scuse me,” he said. “Need some?”
At the time, I politely declined and carried on with my run. But I’ve got to tell you, that little gesture from a kid I’d never met before and haven’t seen since has stuck with me for a week now. He didn’t know me. I didn’t ask him for help. I didn’t even initially pay any attention to him. But he thought he had something to offer, and he didn’t hesitate to reach out with the little he had to give.
I wonder what the world would be like if more of us made our way through life that way. What kind of witness to the gospel could we offer if we operated out of a spirit of generosity instead of anxiety, if we saw every interaction as a chance to do some good? Imagine the impact believers could make if, instead of hesitantly keeping our distance, we dove headfirst into lives of kindness.
A
bottle of water isn’t much. But offered in the right spirit, it can make all
the difference.
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