I Dare You

I had a really cool experience at church on Sunday. It was such a brief, sweet moment, but it's stuck with me since, and I feel like I need to share it.

I'm LDS (Mormon), and our church meetings are split up into three, hour(ish) long segments. After the second block of church, I was walking to the chapel, behind my slow, 80(ish)-year-old visiting teacher, and I saw something that made me so happy.  A random little boy walked up to her and said, "You look really beautiful today!" I didn't get to see my visiting teacher's facial expression, but she gave that little boy's shoulders a squeeze and walked to the chapel with a bounce in her step that I hadn't noticed before. All because of a sweet little boy.

I don't completely understand why that simple act made me tear up, or why I'm tearing up right now writing it. I don't know why, but when I see children do such sweet, simple things, it really touches my heart. I felt the spirit more in that moment than at any other time on Sunday, or since. Seeing that Christ-like selfless love has been the best part of my week, and that little boy didn't even know I was watching.

I know there are other reasons why it's good to go to church (whatever church you attend), but sometimes I feel like it's what happens in the hallways that's more important than the lessons in the classrooms. Josh was working on Sunday and couldn't come to church with me, so I went and sat with that same sweet lady and her veteran husband and felt so much love for them. Kindness does funny things to people, but I think that, more than anything, it's contagious. Let's try to spread it this week. Let's hope everyone catches it.

Call your estranged relative. Forgive your parents. Try to have patience with your children or co-workers or fellow drivers on your daily commute. Do it willingly, with a smile and pure intentions. It'll make you feel so much better than screaming or harboring resentment or stewing it over. And that person you've forgiven/called/been patient with may not appreciate the full implications of what you're doing, but someone else might be watching, who may be touched by your actions anyway. Go make someone's week. I dare you.