Ripple Effect

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Colossians 3:12-13

Did you ever skip rocks as a kid? Maybe you've even done it as an adult. The idea of throwing a rock onto the water at just the right angle so it bounces across the surface of the water instead of sinking has always fascinated me. It seems as though skipping rocks defies all the laws of gravity and that a rock, an object that should easily sink, could actually seamlessly bounce across the water and travel quite far if thrown correctly. And while that rock is skipping freely over the surface of the water, it leaves a trail of ripples in its wake. These ripples start small, the size of the rock, and gradually expand and get bigger, sometimes even reaching the water's edge.

For me, I have never been very successful at skipping rocks, but from time to time I still enjoy trying. One day, as I was walking alongside a pond of tranquil water, I tried skipping a rock. Although unsuccessful, the rock still formed those all familiar ripples that began to disturb the calm surface of the water. As I was watching the ripples travel, I was reminded of how we can all be the start of a ripple effect in our own lives, families, and communities.

The ripples in the water start out small, it doesn't take much, just a single rock or pebble can disturb the water and begin the ripples. Even if thrown with very little force, the ripples still start to appear. How true is this in our lives too? With just a simple act of kindness, a small good deed, extending forgiveness to someone who has hurt us, or showing God's love in this world, we can start a ripple effect that will be felt by those around us. When we have this small influence on our family, friends, and even strangers, we are the catalyst for a small shift that has the potential to expand and extend into something far greater than our initial reach.

Just as a rock seemingly defies gravity by skipping across the surface of the water, sometimes these small acts of kindness can feel like they are counter-cultural to what the world expects. Being the first one to offer forgiveness when someone has deeply hurt us, extending a hand of kindness to someone who has treated us unfairly, showing grace to others when we may feel like grace is never given to us - all of these things are hard, some may say even impossible. But just as it is possible for a rock to skip across the water, with God's strength, all of these things are possible. Not only are they possible, but they can be the start of a ripple effect of positivity and love, something that this world surely needs.

The next time you find yourself in a situation where it is difficult to be kind, or when you find yourself holding onto hurt and not being able to release forgiveness, or simply struggling to offer grace in a difficult situation, just remember that as the rock can defy gravity and skip across the water, you too can defy gravity and be the start of a ripple effect of change.

Journal Prompt - Think about a time when it was difficult for you show kindness or forgiveness to someone. Were you able to eventually offer that kindness or forgiveness? How can you rely on God's strength next time you find yourself in a difficult situation so that you can show His love and be the beginning of a ripple effect?

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Colossians 3:12-13

Prayers & Love Always