Recently I was sitting at Starbucks doing some planning when I overheard a conversation at the table next to me. A teenage girl was talking with her friend about the dynamics of her family.
I tried not to listen, but certain phrases caught my attention.
“My dad doesn’t really know how to love.”
“He isn’t kind.”
“I think my mom’s favorite is my sister… she doesn’t really talk to me.”
My heart broke as I listened.
What struck me most was not that she sounded sad. Instead, she spoke as if she had already accepted this as normal, as if this was simply what family was supposed to be like. That’s what made my heart ache the most.
I sat there trying to gather the words I might say to her. I knew I couldn’t just let her leave thinking she was unlovable or that this was simply the way life had to be.
Quick words have never been my strength , so as I was trying to figure out what to say, I prayed a silent prayer.As she stood up to leave, I found the courage to speak.
“I’m so sorry but couldn’t help but to overhear part of your conversation. I just wanted to say I’m really sorry for what you’ve experienced.”
I apologized to her for the way she had been treated, even though I wasn’t the one who hurt her. I told her that sometimes people simply don’t know how to love well. But that she is worthy of love.
I told her she has the opportunity to learn something different through this pain and to become someone who loves well, even if she didn’t receive it herself.
She thanked me and was very kind.
But as she walked away, I immediately thought of all the things I should have said.
I should have asked if I could give her a hug.
I wish I had shared my faith more clearly.
Instead, I tried to find a way to connect with her without sounding like some strange woman inserting myself into her life in a random moment .. but then it made me think.. why? Why was I worried over that instead of looking at it as an opportunity to love?
Why is it sometimes so hard to encourage others or show love , especially to people we don’t know?
There so many people who have accepted the lie that they are unlovable and for so many reasons . Sometimes it’s because of circumstances.Sometimes it’s self-preservation.Sometimes it’s simply the story they’ve been told long enough to believe.
But what if we chose to love people and to step out of our comfort zones ?
Even strangers.
What if one small moment of kindness could change the direction of someone’s life?
Recently I’ve been reading about D.L. Moody, and one story about him stood out to me. Early in his life, an elderly man gave him a single penny just for walking with him, listening, and encouraging him in his faith.
It was such a small interaction.
Yet Moody never forgot it.
I’ve also been reading the book The Body Keeps Score, which discusses how early environments shape behavior. One study described two groups of mice: one raised in a nest with warmth and plenty of food, and another raised in a poor, stressful environment.
When both groups were frightened by a loud noise, they ran back to their nests ,whether the environment was good or bad.
It made me pause.
Even when something is unhealthy, we often return to what feels familiar.
Maybe that teenage girl has learned to run back to the only “home” she knows …even if it isn’t the love she deserves.
And maybe that’s why small moments of kindness matter more than we realize.
A word.
An apology.
A reminder that someone is worthy of love.
Perhaps those moments plant seeds that grow later.
And maybe the next time I feel the nudge to speak kindness into someone’s life, I won’t hesitate.
Because sometimes a single moment of love or kindness can echo far longer than we could ever imagine ❤️
“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
Have you ever had a moment where you felt prompted to encourage a stranger? Or where a stranger’s kindness impacted you?
I’d love to hear your story in the comments ✨
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