After many weeks of staying at home, I finally decided to go to my usual barber to have a haircut. He is from India and his family is still there, so he lives alone here. When I arrived, there were no other customers but he was his usual pleasant and cheerful self. We chatted a bit and I asked him whether the business was better since Penang is now in phase 3. He replied that it has picked up a little but it was still far from what it used to be. He was resigned to the “new norm” of lesser income and I noted a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

As I stepped out of his shop later, I decided to walk about 100m towards a street vendor selling coconut water. It was a hot afternoon and some coconut water would be refreshing indeed! I bought 3 packets – 2 for myself and 1 for my barber. When I walked back and passed it to him, he broke out in a big smile and thanked me profusely. Coconut water. It takes so little to make someone’s day, doesn’t it?

We all have the capacity to make someone’s day and to make our world a better place. It doesn’t take much really and we need not trivialize small acts. Truly, to bring hope and a smile does not take herculean efforts or cost a lot. Mark Twain said, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see”. Indeed, you are a light in a world that grows increasingly dark and you can be that glow to push back the despair and the gloom wherever you are. A smile, a warm hello over video call, a comforting text, a surprise snack through online delivery or a cool drink perhaps, or even helping with a practical need. I am sure many have made your day now and then, and you can think of many ways to make someone’s day too … and make your own in the process!

If you are a Christian, God has given you spiritual gifts to bless others (1 Cor 12:4-11). Use them, don’t keep or hide them away. Greet, give, write, speak, intercede, proclaim, comfort or aid. The “butterfly effect” postulates that tiny changes can give rise to large consequences so feel free to start small where you are. Faith, as tiny as a mustard seed, can bring about eternal changes and we do not despise the day of “small beginnings” (Zech 4:10) when the Lord’s hand is in it!

This blog is authored by Mok Kok Hoong on 3 November 2021.