There’s a beautiful wall mural at the YMCA near me. It’s a huge butterfly with these words painted on it, “Be the change in the world, that you want to see.”

It’s so simple yet so powerful. And honestly, it’s so easy to do. We think that only certain people like world-renowned pastors, celebrities and philanthropists can make a difference. The reason we believe this is because we’re under the mistaken impression that money is needed to make a difference that really counts. But we are oh so wrong.

Personally, because missions are such a heart pull, my husband and I dream of building orphanages and digging wells where clean water is needed, creating university classes on our tiny island so that the youth have opportunities to learn and grow. All of those things require money. But if I thought that those were the only things I could accomplish to make a real difference in my life, I would be missing out on so many incredible opportunities.

One such opportunity presented itself this past weekend. Our church set up a Saturday Serve Day. We had the option of cleaning up an elementary school and writing letters of encouragement to the teachers, setting up an outdoor grill area for our firefighters or create baskets for a local retirement home. My 4 year-old granddaughter, Brooklyn and I chose to create some beautiful journal covers for the residents at the retirement home. I watched with great pride as she courageously walked up to each residence we were assigned to visit. We were greeted with huge smiles and grateful recipients. She would walk right into their home and offer them their gift. It was just precious. And while there, we had the privilege of praying with one of the residents. She was worried about her brother who was in the hospital in another town. It was a privilege to meet her and bless her in this way.

To see the smiles and gratitude of each resident that we met was so worth the small effort we made to get up early on a Saturday and be covered in glue! It took very little money but lots of love. And I can promise you, it made a difference. Not only to the residents but also to our youth and children to see what their efforts could do. And of course it wasn’t only them that were blessed. This Mimi loved every minute of it.

If your church doesn’t have any serving opportunities planned, just call the office. I am absolutely certain the answer won’t be, “Oh no thank you. We have more than enough volunteers and nothing you could do to help.” I promise!

But look for ways, as you go through your day, to create joy in those around you. You’d be surprised how greeting the workers at the grocery store or mall with a smile and “how are you?” can make such a difference to their outlook. I’ve lived most of my life in the South and we call everyone “Sweetie” and “Honey”, say, “Yes mam” or “No, Sir” no matter what their age. This has gone over pretty well in California but I do get strange looks from time to time! Holding the door open for a mom with a stroller, helping carry grocery bags or even the cart for an elderly person who looks like they’re struggling. Just put down your phone and look around. The opportunities are out there. You just have to be present!

I hear so much on social media how terrible our world is right now. Well, we may not be able to meet the needs or fix the injustices everywhere but we certainly can ask God to show us how we can make a difference in a neighbor’s life or even a complete stranger. Be the change you want to see in this world. And just watch what God can do!