Lots of Little Equals Big

I'm a big believer that we don't have to make huge, all encompassing, sweeping gestures in order to make a positive change in the world.

Each and every one of us can start to improve our community, our family, ourselves, our world with small gestures, small givings, small opportunities.

The key is that when we all commit to giving those small blessings, big things can come from it.

There are opportunities around us every single day to make changes and improvements.  Sometimes, we just need to be willing to be a little creative, to feel more empowered, to see the bigger picture.

I have a friend who is a volunteer court appointed advocate (CASA) in the foster care system.  Back when I was a social worker in therapeutic foster care, I relied heavily on the CASA in my cases that had one.  These were volunteers who stood only for the child.  Not for the plan, not for the parents, not for the state.  For the child.  It's a special job!

Anyway, this friend has a case and the kids have been bounced around, as is often the situation for foster children.  And now they are being placed with mom as she has been working her plan.  Unfortunately, where mom was able to find houseing wasn't in the school district where the kids have been attending and thriving this school year.  And no one in authority seems to be able to make the transportation needs happen so these kids can finish out the school year in the school that has loved them, supported them, and helped them grow this year.

So this friend took thing sinto her own hands and is asking for donations from people she knows.  Not everyone can give generously.  And maybe that's why the donations have been a bit slower to come in?  Because the problem feels big.  Because it doesn't feel like a grand enough gesture.  Because it's not a donation that will change the world.

Except that it will.

It will make a difference for these 2 kids to be able to stay at their school.  It will make a difference for their mom to know that even strangers love them and root for them enough to give to them like this.  It makes a difference to the social workers and volunteers and court employees who deal with the frustration of not being able to fix the problem on their own.

Then I saw this video from Cross Point Church in TN.  This is a big church.  It's not my kind of place.  I started to loosely follow their pastor - Pete Wilson - after he spoke at the Experience Conference 2 years ago.  And he shared this video:


Again - this is a big church with multiple campuses.  Which is why a single donation of $1 per person meant that they could collect $6,000 at that one moment on a Sunday morning.

But watching it immediately brought me back to my friend and those 2 foster kids.

What would happen if everyone who saw my friend's plea for donations would donate $5?



Not a single one of us can save the world all on our own.  But if we listen and stay aware of the needs around us, we just might be able to brighten up someone's world righ tin this moment.  If we work together, we might be able to take on some of the bigger problems that need bigger help.

Lots of little gestures work together to create a big change.

Be part of something big.