Video Transcript
Emily: The internet lets us ask great, wonderful, truly important questions. Like “How many pencils would it take to stack all the way up to the moon?” Or “How much cheese could you fit on the moon?” It’s actually interesting how big the small things can be from a different perspective.
That’s true even in our relationships. Think about the times in your life when little interactions added up to make a big difference.
Dr. Ben Carson’s mother had a third-grade education but she consistently showed up in his life with simple affirmations in a way that had a big impact. Dr. Carson, a renowned neurosurgeon, often speaks about the small words of affirmation he and his siblings received from his mother, Sonya Carson. She would often tell them, “You can do anything anyone else can do, only you can do it better.” She would do her best to look over their homework carefully each week and encourage her kids. “I know you boys have good minds. If you can read, you can learn just about anything you want to know.” These small, consistent affirmations from his mother—often in the face of adversity—played a huge role in Carson’s belief in himself and his eventual success in medicine.
Carson poured himself into his studies, graduated high school, entered Yale University in 1969, then went on to medical school. At age 33, Carson became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He made huge contributions to the successful separation of conjoined twins. Sonya Carson’s steady encouragement, repeated over years, had a transformative effect on his life.
In a famous story shared by motivational speaker Andy Andrews, he recounts how one of his teachers, Mrs. Jones, asked him a simple question every day that would eventually change his life: “What are you reading?” This question, repeated daily, planted the importance of reading in Andrews’ mind. Although Andy didn’t think much of it at the time, Mrs. Jones’ small, consistent encouragement eventually led him to read hundreds of books, which contributed to his future success as a bestselling author and speaker.
We often think we have to do big, dramatic, important things to change the world or to have an impact on the people around us. But there is so much power in the small moments of kindness we can show each day. And even if we can’t show up in a big way all the time for the people we care about most, there is also power in just showing up consistently in small, simple ways.
John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, is a great example of someone whose consistent, daily presence over a long period of time had a bigger impact than you might expect. Wooden’s approach to coaching was less about grand gestures and brilliant insights and more about daily teaching and encouragement. He emphasized small, daily habits like tying shoes properly and practicing basic drills repeatedly. Over many years, his consistent, methodical approach transformed his players and led UCLA to an unprecedented 10 NCAA championships in 12 years. His ability to show up and mentor his players, day in and day out, created lasting relationships.
Over the years, all our relationships are made up of these small moments. We say goodbye in the morning and hello in the afternoon to our families. We eat a quick lunch with a coworker. We wave to our neighbors as we get in our cars. But these little moments add up over time — forming lifelong friendships that have the potential to change your life.
What if the same principle applies to our spiritual lives? What if showing up for prayer every day, no matter how tired and busy we are—and just even in small moments—could transform our heart?
