I wrote a devotional book after our first granddaughter was born as a micro-preemie, which means she weighed only 1 pound 4 ounces. I titled the book Make Someone Cry 30 Simple Acts of Love to be the Living Proof of a Loving God. The reasoning behind that title was that when love showed up for our daughter and her family and us, it made me cry.
The love that showed up was simple. And that’s what I wrote about. Things like, cleaning the house, raking leaves, going to the store, being present, hanging mini blinds, providing a meal, a text, a hug or a prayer.
My goal for the devotional book was to inspire others to take the risk to do simple acts of love that would make the person receiving the love cry. Not tears of sadness, but tears of gratitude, of joy, and of wonder.
So many of us wait to be asked to do something, and the person needing the love isn’t able to tell you what they need because they are overwhelmed, emotional, tired, and stressed beyond their limits. When love shows up, they feel loved, cared for and seen and they just get to receive it. They didn’t have to think about what they needed so they could tell others, they just got to be the recipient of that love.
The truth is it doesn’t take grand gestures to bring comfort. So today—reach out. Send the message. Pray the prayer. Offer the hug, bring the coffee, or the meal.
Love doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, the smallest act is the greatest gift—and they will cry tears of joy.