Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and he is an example of someone who made a big difference to a lot of people. I really like the idea of making a difference, and not just a difference, but a BIG difference. That means that I have to watch out for "The Greatness Trap" (I put that in quotes as if it isn't something I just made up :-). This is the trap where we become dissatisfied with what seems the very small, or even non-existent difference we are making in the world. We get stuck being unsatisfied with what we can do, and so we contemplate what great thing we could do, without really doing anything. It really seems unlikely that there will ever be a Sherie Day to celebrate the great difference that I make!
The good news? I may not make a "great" difference to so many people that they create a national day in my honor, but I can make a great difference to a neighbor, a child, a friend, or even a stranger. I may even make this difference without being aware of how important what I did was. Sometimes greatness is doing the little things. It is getting up to say goodbye to your kids when they head out the door. It is listening to someone when you are tired, or smiling at someone who feels alone. It is sending a note to let someone know they are appreciated, or doing the laundry so your family has something clean to wear.
Doing something great doesn't require us to travel to a different country, or to have our words published in a text book for generations to read. Even someone who can't move can do a great thing by praying for someone. It may never be known by others, but it will make a difference just the same. So as we celebrate the great difference Martin Luther King Jr. made, we can quietly do the littler things for the people around us, and that will add up to making a BIG difference to someone.
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