Little things can make a BIG difference!

This is a post I should have written a long while ago. It's been several months now since Kristin and I attended Lightway Church in the East End of our city. We've heard a lot about this church plant at Westside, and have helped out financially and practically on several occasions - but we had never actually attended a service.

So we decided it was high time we did.

Ian (one of the pastors at Lightway) and I go way back - we had ministered at camp together (I was reminded that Mark [the other pastor at Lightway] also ministered at the camp when I was there - though we knew little of each other at the time), we had also attended Heritage College together; I was comfortable going to the church because I knew them.

[As an aside: while I write this I am reminded of how difficult it is to go to a new church where you don't know anyone! I was comfortable going to this church because I had connected with someone there. If I knew no one, the experience would have been much different!!! How quickly we forget this...]

Ian and I connected immediately as Kristin and I emerged from our car in the small parking lot at Lake Avenue Public School. Ian was excited to see us; but quickly offered a warning: this was not a regular Sunday service at Lightway, and the format would be a little different.

Lightway Church was going through a series about their mission and vision for the church and their community. This week would be focused on service. The small congregation gathered around a series of circular tables, very informally (but comfortably) in a small gymnasium. I can't say that the service started "on time", I got the feeling that it started when they felt like it was time to start. The praise team led a few songs, there was corporate prayer, and then Mark and Ian led a short sermon about service, and what that looks like at Lightway.

Before I knew it, the congregation was breaking out into two groups - one group would stay inside and organize materials for a missions project - measuring and cutting fabric, and that sort of thing. The rest of us went outside to pick up garbage.

Although the playground, at first glance, didn't look overly trash-riddled, there were several spots where the wind had gathered small (and sometimes larger) piles of refuse. We spread out and quickly filled at least 10 garbage bags! We worked quickly and were done our job in about 15 or 20 minutes. The playground looked different - much improved!

I followed the group back into the school and bumped into (not literally...) the school's custodian. She had been milling around the school preparing for the onslaught of children that would flood the halls the following morning. She instantly saw the mound of black bags piled near a dumpster and was amazed.

The custodian asked me, "Why did you guys do all this?", I responded by explaining that we care about the school, the community and especially the kids that would show up tomorrow morning (though it was true, it seemed odd, given that it was my first time at Lightway!) and that we believe that God wants us to take care of these things. The custodian was shocked. She became excited, and exclaimed "I can't believe this! This is fantastic! I'm going to tell everyone! Wait until tomorrow morning, I'll tell everyone!"

We don't do these things for worldly praise, but it occurred to be at that moment that our small deeds to not always go unnoticed. Even if these acts go unnoticed by the world, they are surely not ignored by God. This small, 15 minute project had a incredible impact. Lightway puts their faith into action, and it's being noticed by the community!

I hope that this small story is an encouragement to each of you - that each of us will consider how we can put our faith into action! Little things - even things that take very little time can have a huge impact. Take a minute this afternoon to do something - write a note, pick up some trash, volunteer to help a neighbor, visit someone who is ill or shut-in: put your faith into action!