I recently walked into Starbucks and found myself standing in an empty line beside another customer. After waiting for a moment, she looked at me and asked, “Is someone going to take our order?”
Just then, an employee stepped up to the register and asked for my order. I gestured toward the woman beside me and said, “I’m buying whatever this lady would like.” Surprised and touched by the gesture, she smiled and asked, “Do you know Jesus?”
“I know Jesus,” I replied.
I purchased my drink, two Rice Krispies Treats for her, and—at her suggestion—one for myself. Before leaving, she said, “I have something for you in my car.”
A few moments later, she returned with a small Jesus figurine. In fact, she brought me a handful of them so I could pass them along to others.
Right there in Starbucks, two strangers shared a brief moment of praise for our Lord and Savior.
Then she noticed a young girl nearby. After asking the mother’s permission, she offered the child one of the figurines and asked, “Do you know Jesus?”
The mother answered warmly, “We know Jesus.” Then she looked at her daughter and asked, “What do you say?”
“Thank you,” the little girl replied.
The entire encounter lasted less than five minutes, but in those few minutes, I saw a little Jesus everywhere.
I saw Him in a smile between strangers.
I saw Him in generosity and gratitude.
I saw Him in kindness freely offered with no expectation of anything in return.
I saw Him in the innocence of a child and in the joy of people unashamed to speak His name.
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
—Hebrews 13:2
We may not carry little Jesus figurines in our pockets, but every one of us carries the opportunity to share a little Jesus wherever we go.
A smile can carry Him.
A kind word can reveal Him.
A small act of generosity can introduce someone to His love.
A moment of patience, compassion, or encouragement can remind someone that God has not forgotten them.
Jesus said:
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
—Matthew 5:16
We often think sharing Jesus must be something grand, carefully planned, or spoken from a pulpit. But sometimes Jesus is shared while standing in line at Starbucks, buying someone a treat, speaking His name without hesitation, and allowing His love to interrupt an ordinary day.
The world does not always need a sermon from us. Sometimes it simply needs to see a little Jesus in us.
And the beautiful truth is this: We can pass out a little Jesus anytime we want.
