This picture is a perfect illustration (if I do say so myself) of today’s post.  The story (as it goes) is that Tom Hanks came across this (un)fortunate young man who had passed out drunk at the bar.  Tom Hanks noticed the guys phone and took the picture that you see now.  In an instant, this guys life changed.  Now, was it for the better/worse/just different I have no idea.  Needless to say, this dude at least has a story that he will tell forever.

I have heard that Bill Murray does things like this all the time.  He goes up to people in random restaurants, eats off of their plates, turns to them and says, “No one will ever believe you.” and walks away.  I have no verification of this but have heard enough about Bill Murray to believe that it’s true.  These people will have a story to tell for the rest of their lives.

On a much more personal but not the least bit “famous people” related level I can think of several moments in my life that this has happened.  One of my favorites was during my senior year of high school.  I worked in the locker room at a local country club (unbelievable coincidence – the old golf pro of that country club just walked into the Panera where I am writing this).  It was New Years Eve and I went to the bar of the country club to get a quick soft drink.  A member was there waiting for his dinner guests to arrive and asked me what I was doing for “New Years”.  I told him that my best friend and I were just making dinner for our girlfriends and hanging out.  His response?  “Awe, that sounds cool man.  Hope you get laid.”  Errrr, ahhhh, ok, um, thank you?  You see, that wasn’t my goal.  That wasn’t on my radar.  That wasn’t what I was shooting for.  TO THIS DAY (obviously) I retell this story.  It was so out of left field and so foreign to me that I always remembered it and laughed.

Granted, this can certainly be the case with unfortunate and or tragic instant moments as well.  I have touched on this in the past and will focus on it again soon.  But for now, let’s just look at the positive.  During my time in youth ministry there was a girl that I knew who was good friends with another girl that was really involved in what we were doing.  I saw her one day standing outside of the school.  She hadn’t really been involved in anything we’d done but knew who I was.  I just felt lead to go up to her and say, “I just wanted you to know that I think that you are a great girl.”  She eventually got involved in our ministry and years later shared with me that those words meant the world to her.  She had been having a bad day/week/month/life (she was a high school girl after all, I’m sure it was amplified but all too real for her).  The fact that I would take the time to say something nice to her had floored her.

It takes…next to nothing.  Granted, there was a little bit of social discomfort and fear that I would look like a weirdo pervert but other than that it was easy.  However, the effect of my kind words have lasted a lifetime with her.  In an instant her day/week/month/life had changed for the better.  Over the years I have had several people share similar stories of things I had said (mind you, not done…just said) to them that meant the world to them.  Why stop?  Why not do it more often?  Why not do it every day?

In an instant, life changes.  You can’t always do a lot for yourself.  Yet, you can dramatically improve the life of another, even alter it for a lifetime.  Maybe my white dress shoe wearing, self important, bad mustache, chest hair exposed member of the country club was trying to just encourage me for an evening.  In an instant though, he blessed me at least with a great story for the rest of my life.