My daughter recently broke her little toe. She wasn’t wearing any shoes when she rammed her foot into the bottom of a ladder, but it was just the little toe that got broken. The smallest of the bunch, the runt of the litter, the one that goes wee-wee-wee all the way home. My initial reaction? No big deal. You can’t do much for a broken toe anyway. It’s a month later, and she’s still hurting and wearing a protective boot. She ended up getting X-rays and seeing an orthopedic doctor twice. And the latest prognosis is it will take another month to heal! Little things can hurt.

Some time ago on a Sunday morning I was really enjoying the worship service. I was moved in particular by a specific chorus and I was singing with joy. Perhaps I was singing with too much gusto, because someone turned to look at me with an unhappy, questioning expression on their face. Was I too loud? Was I off key? I don’t know. But I do know I stopped singing.

That incident reminds me of another ‘look’ I received as a little girl. Well, I received a lot of looks, stares and snide remarks as a girl, because with my disability I walked funny and slow. But this particular look took place in church as well. It was during the communion service and I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. Perhaps because of my age, one of the ushers passing the elements failed to give me one of the little cups of juice. My mother got his attention and he handed me one. However, because I was flustered and embarrassed by being forgotten, instead of waiting to ‘partake together’, I drank mine immediately. I will never forget the look of disapproval that man gave me. It hurt. I know and understand what he was thinking. He assumed I had no respect for the communion ceremony, and that I was just a kid who wanted some juice. But I know my heart and I know the hurt I felt from just a look.

Little things matter. They can really hurt. A snicker or a scowl, an untimely laugh, a cutting remark or sarcastic response, or even just being ignored are all things that can hurt deeply and wound someone for a very long time. The Bible tells us that “little foxes spoil the vines”. It doesn’t have to be a big thing to do a lot of damage.

In her book Beautiful Things Happen When A Woman Trusts God, author and well-known Christian speaker Sheila Walsh openly shares about her battle with severe depression. Among the things she shares are the hurts she experienced from friends who did not understand her struggle. This was especially true when she spent several months in a psychiatric hospital. But later in her book she tells this experience: “I don’t know how I expected them to react, but I was stunned by what they did. They hugged me. That seemingly small act was huge, like a hand reaching into my ocean of doubt and fear.” Little things can heal. They can be a blessing and an encouragement.

When I was a teenager I had several surgeries which required a long term stay in the hospital. Shortly after one of the surgeries I received a letter from my very best friend. Enclosed with the letter was a short newspaper clipping with the headline The Joy of a Pal. It made me feel so special and loved. I cherished that little news article and kept it for many, many years. I had it tucked in the pages of my Bible and read it often.

I now live with my daughter April and her husband. (That’s NOT a little thing!) For Valentine’s day this year Jonathan gave April a big beautiful bouquet of a dozen red roses. When I came out of my room to admire them, I discovered a single yellow rose waiting for me.

A single yellow rose is perfect for me!

His thoughtfulness blessed me. Not only did he give me a rose, but he remembered that yellow is one of my favorite colors. This small gesture may seem like a little thing, but it touched my heart in a big way. By giving me that single rose, he also gave me joy and comfort during a difficult holiday.

My mother-in-law used to occasionally show up at my door with two huge pistachio muffins in her hands. She would smile and say, “Let’s have a cup of tea”. She knew how much I enjoyed those pistachio muffins! I am using past tense because my mother-in-law is almost 90 years old and is now suffering with dementia. I no longer have those muffin and tea times with her, but those small, special moments have become precious memories.

Little things matter. Little things are especially important to the people who are affected by them. They can hurt or they can heal; they can hinder or they can help; they can discourage or they can bring joy and give hope. Little things matter, because they have the potential to do big things!