I was sitting in the Brussels airport on Valentine's Day morning. I was exhausted after a grueling two week trip in Africa, and an overnight flight in economy. There were no gluten free options for breakfast anywhere, and my only comfort was a cup of Starbucks Mocha coffee (at least they had a dairy free option)😃. The last two weeks had been among the most grueling of any of my trips, between COVID tests, intense heat, and stressful situations to deal with. I had another long flight to look forward to, then a layover and another flight. I was ready to be home. And I wondered if what I do makes much of a difference, and is worth the effort.
And then I opened my email. A staff member had decided to take the time to write a brief but thoughtful email letting me know that I was appreciated. Tears came to my eyes as I contemplated what I was reading. Maybe it was the exhaustion that brought the tears, but more likely, there was enough power in those simple words to make a grown man cry . I certainly didn't deserve such compliments, but that morning they did a lot to remind me of the importance of what we do at ECM. In the grand scheme of things, what we do seems rather small and insignificant, but who says God doesn't do some of his best work outside of the spotlight? The smiles of the kids and the appreciation of the staff remind me that whatever we can do to help, despite our limitations and failings, is worth all the effort.
Take some time today to show your appreciation for what others do to make the world a better place. Look for something small and put it in the spotlight. As Christians, we shouldn't do much to highlight our own accomplishments, but that should never stop us from genuinely appreciating what others are doing to spread a little love in a hurting world.
