Joy A. Mead

We had just enjoyed afternoon tea in a picturesque, historic landmark in London with my parents visiting from California.

As I was walking through the restaurant toward the exit, I observed a father trying to take a selfie photo of himself with his large family seated at a table near the entrance. 

I could have easily walked on by and carried on with my day, but the Holy Spirit compelled me to stop. I offered to take a photo of this family of twelve and they gratefully accepted. 

I’ve been there trying to desperately take a photo of my family yet equally be in the photo myself to prove I was there in that memory too. Yet, honestly, selfies never do anyone much justice and often the photographer ends up looking triple the size of everyone else in the photo! 

It took less than a minute to offer a gesture of kindness yet, I hope the family felt seen and special in that humble moment. I didn’t have time to find out much about them however from quick observation, they were from east Asia and perhaps had some aunties, uncles, and cousins with them. Coordinating their schedules to all be together in London for a trip must have taken a great deal of effort. So the fact that they were all there in this restaurant together made me feel that the least I could do was capture a memory for them. 

Sometimes, God gives us an epic opportunity to share our faith and testimony. A conversation might flow exactly where it needs to in order to create space for an open and direct dialogue on faith. Those intense moments are so special. 

However, there are even more daily, minuscule moments of sharing faith indirectly. Saying hello to the grocery store clerk and asking how his or her day is going, being polite to let others go ahead of you in a line, offering a smile to the mum with a fussy child on the train, giving a hug to your hairdresser who is clearly having a hard day, or in my case, offering to take a photo of a family in a historic location.

Wherever you find yourself in everyday life, may God give you eyes to see and the wisdom to be present in your circumstance to be ready to share his good news in whatever form or capacity.

Whether you know it or not, every act you do counts. As Christians, we have the regular opportunity to put our faith into practice and represent the God we serve. Even when we say nothing at all about our faith, our actions often speak louder than any words we could ever say. 

Be blessed, be present, and be a blessing. ❤️