HEART, MIGHT, MIND AND STREGTH

As a Christmas gift to my brother-in-love, Ken (Erin's husband,) I am starting a new weekly blog entry entitled, "Heart, Might, Mind and Strength." This blog will be dedicated to my experiences and observations of service in my life, whether I am giving service, receiving it, or just witnessing it. This is in Ken's honor, as he and his family have always been a beacon of love and service to me, and I am blessed to be part of thier family!

The title of the blog comes from the scripture in The Doctrine and Covenants (of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) Chapter 4 Verse 2 that reads: O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength. . .

Since today is Christmas, and the world is full of good cheer, I had the chance to observe a lot of small moments of service today, and I'd like to share some with you.

Sometimes it's the littlest thing that makes a difference.
For the last week, I have been working a side job distributing flyers for Broadway shows in Times Square. It's a real glamorous job, and I even get to wear a sandwich board while standing in some very cold whether (note the sarcasm.)
It has come to my attention as I try to distribute these flyers (playfully chanting "Save-a-lot, See Spam-a-lot!") that there are a few types of reactions I get. There is the curious acceptance from the people who want to know what I'm talking about. There is the people who avoid eye contact and just take what I hand them, only to drop it on the ground about 10 second later. There is the people who get annoyed, scowl, and vere wide to avoid my reach.
But there is a type of reaction that I actually find is the most frequently displayed. They make eye-contact, shake a gentle "no" with their head, and smile a pleasant "Thank you" right after. Whether mouthed or audibly spoken, I noticed that the simple courtesy they give actually makes my day a little brighter. I'm so grateful for those little moments and the time that people take to give them, when they could easily just pretend I don't exist.
It's a reminder to us all that the easy and simple act of a smile and a "thank you" can be the gateway to giving service to everyone we come in contact with.

So, imagine a little smile, a little "thank you," and a very Merry Christmas from me to you.