6 Little Ways To Make A Big Difference In Times Of Crisis: 5 min. read by Megan Rea
*Click here to watch a vlog of this post*
I’ll never forget the quote that glamorously strewn itself across the cover of one of my many college notebooks. The quote, scripted in hot pink, obviously, was perfectly framed against the backdrop of a Kim Anderson print of an adorable yet completely discombobulated child (you may now guess what decade I was in college). The quote read, “Any idiot can face a crisis – it’s day to day living that wears you out.”(Anton Chekhov)
Well, no disrespect to Mr. Chekhov, but I’d wager to bet that every one of us would take the ‘stress’ of meal planning, coordinating calendars, and making sure we get our 10,000 steps in over the current situation we all, yep, everyone-in-the-world now finds ourselves in.
It’s almost incomprehensible, isn’t it? Crazy to think that yes, we actually can all simultaneously, turn our lives upside down and yet, still be moving forward, separately, albeit, more ‘together’ than we’ve ever been.
It’s a weird, history-making time to be alive.
I don’t think crisis changes us initially, long term sure, but initially, it merely brings to the surface what lies underneath. Crisis reveals the motivations of our heart; whether we’re driven by love or fear, freedom or control, self-preservation or generosity.
It’s times like these when you see both the best and the worst of humanity rise to the surface.
And it’s times like these we need more grace for ourselves and for others than ever before.
In the months ahead, we will look back at this time. And when 2020 is a mere topic of watercooler conversation, what will you want to remember you did well?
We will get through this season friend, this I know. But it’s how we “get through it” that will make all the difference. Not only for you but for others as well.
It’s so important to keep our worlds big in this season, to keep our eyes and hearts open to the needs around us. None of us can do everything, but all of us can do something. So if you’re looking for a few “small” ways to make a big difference, here are a few ideas:
1. Connect with your neighbors
With 90% of us being home more than ever, now’s the time to actually get to know your neighbor. Granted, we can’t invite them in, but you can have some pretty great conversations from your front porch.
Also, if you’re not already on nextdoor.com, check it out. It’s basically an online forum for your neighborhood. Within the last week, we’ve seen our own neighbors meet practical needs (toilet paper runs) and make memories for others (create a drive-by birthday parade for a 4-year-old-boy complete with streamers, balloons, and dogs dressed in costumes (Epic)).
One last thing I’m sure you’ve seen: “hearts in the window.” Seeing those sweet pieces of construction paper warms our souls when the world feels cold.
2. Support Local Business’
We <3 shopping small and shopping local. And there’s never been a better time to support small business. Many retailers are still offering online shopping and adding huge discounts as incentives. So buy a little something or purchase a gift card as a goodwill investment for when they reopen in person.
3. Send a Card
Snail mail. It’s all the rage. When the big outing for the day is walking to the mailbox, why not give your grandma, best friend, sister, long-lost-college-roommate, something to brighten their day?
4. Give
It’s easy to get into self-preservation mode when crisis strikes. Don’t do that. Churches, food banks, non-profits, hospitals, they need our generosity more than ever. We’re all inventing new ways to reach out to those in need. Just yesterday, our church’s Food Pantry supplied groceries to more families in 2 hours than we typically serve in a week! Proverbs 11:24 says,
“The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.”
So let’s keep our world’s big. Let’s dig deep and make our future selves glad we did. We will absolutely see the other side of this storm if we stick together.
5. Reach out to your friends
Maybe they haven’t reached out to you, but the world is crazy right now so let’s be generous with grace and reach out first.
You could simply text or call, facetime them when you’re on a walk or, combine a few of these tips and send them something in the mail from one of your favorite stores. (Here are a few more ideas)
You know what else is a big thing right now? “Quarantunes!”
Music is a game-changer. Make a Spotify playlist and share it with a friend.
Making a playlist for someone is the 21st Century is the equivalent of a “mix-tape.” Only not quite as awesome because you can’t rewind it with a pencil. 😉
6. Be a conduit of peace
Let me tell you something you already know: people are flipped out right now. And because of that, we have the opportunity to be a conduit, “an agent” (as Chris puts it), of peace wherever we go. Say “Hi” to people. Smile. Be kind. Put good news on social media. Speak life. Give grace when you feel impatient and frustrated. Why? Because we’re all in the same boat and kindness and gentleness have a way of softening harsh edges.
And If you’re all, “yeah, but what else can I do,” by all means, take it to the next level! The internet is brimming with folks coming up with unique random acts of kindness right now. Read this article, I dare you not to get inspired.
It’s especially easy to feel small in times like this. But let’s not discredit the small things, friend. For I believe when we look back, we’ll clearly see it was the small things that were in fact not small at all.
How are you keeping your world big in this season? If you’ve done or seen some creative ways to give back or some unique random acts of kindness, we’d love to hear!
Until next time,
Meg
Praying this over you daily:
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13
P.S. More good news can be coming your way! Why would you want to miss out on that?
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