Choir Notes

A Simple Gesture

From Music and the Spoken Word

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4341

For years a certain family was plagued by resentment. Various members refused to speak to each other, weddings went unattended, and children were growing up without knowing their cousins. The years had given family members plenty of time to justify their behavior and blame the others for their injuries.

And then, in a sudden impulse of generosity, a young aunt sent a package of school supplies to her brother’s children. It wasn’t expensive; it wasn’t grandiose. It was just one simple gesture.

But like a drop of rain on parched, cracked soil, it caught the attention of a family thirsty for kindness. A thank-you note was written. A phone call was made. A caring comment was spoken. Feelings began to soften. And now a holiday feast is being planned. The prospects for healing and forgiveness are bright. And it all began with a small investment in just a few notebooks and markers.

Of course, reaching out with compassion across a bitter chasm is not easy. It may even seem impossible, and it always requires patience and persistence. But often just one simple gesture of kindness is enough to set in motion a series of actions that convey love and goodwill, balms that can soothe any wound.

We see the powerful impact of small gestures every day. The people who thank returning soldiers at an airport, a group of teens who visit patients in a hospital, even a young girl picking up the keys dropped by an elderly woman. These simple gestures seem small, but they stay forever in the hearts of the people they bless.

Like sunlight shining through a small crack in a dungeon wall, one small gesture can bring warmth to cold hearts. By responding to even the smallest of generous impulses, we just may witness a miracle that not only softens the hearts of others but also brings unexpected joy into our own.