By A. Ray Lee 

Columnist 

I finished a delicious meal made more enjoyable by the service of a waitress who was both professional and personal.  

She and I chatted briefly as she updated me on a situation of concern she had previously shared. She smiled as she placed the check on the table and turned to other diners. On the check, written in bold strokes, were the words “have a blest day.”  

Suddenly, a picture from the past flashed through my mind of a time when I had been seated at the same table. 

After months of struggle with an illness that was slowly destroying Effie’s mind and body, Christmas Day 2016, we made yet another trip to the emergency room, where I sat long hours anxiously waiting for a word of her condition.  

Late in the afternoon she was moved to CICU. For the next several days and nights, I remained close by her side.  

Exhausted by my vigil, I left long enough to go to a restaurant for a meal and had been seated at the same table where I now sat.  

As my meal was being prepared, I looked toward the entrance to the dining area, where a couple was waiting to be seated. The hostess had chosen a table for them, but instead of following her, they came to sit with me.  

Without doubt, they had been divinely sent my way.  

The last days of my journey with Effie would be hard and difficult for us, but we were blessed with a steadfast support system of family, friends and a loving church fellowship. Through them, God would send the blessings of his strength, love and compassion. 

I realize how blessed I have been by receiving a heritage of faith in a merciful and compassionate God who responds to my weakness and needs with grace and mercy.  

His blessings have often been dispensed through individuals who were responsive to the guidance of his spirit. 

It’s a challenging understanding to know we might be depriving someone of receiving a blessing by our actions and attitudes.  

Small acts of kindness – such as a genuine smile, a warm handshake and a few words of encouragement – might seem to be of little consequence to the one giving them, but they might cause those to whom they have been extended to have much more than just a blessed day.  

What might seem little to us might have life-changing consequences. 

The lyrist who penned the words “little is much when God is in it” has so adequately stated an eternal truth. In light of the blessings I have received in my lifetime, my daily prayer is that I may, by God’s grace be a blessing to those whose paths cross mine.