20 Oct, 2009
The Little Things
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The lights inside Rupp Arena had been off for 20 minutes, but Patrick Patterson wasn’t ready to leave.
Not as long as there were still pictures to take, he said. Not as long as there were autographs to sign and fans to meet – especially the 4-year-old who had waited more than an hour after the game to talk to her favorite Kentucky basketball player.
The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Patterson paused and softened his voice.
“It really is amazing,” he said, “how much power you have as an athlete, how much influence they can have on a little kid. It feels good to be able to make them smile.”
Perhaps that explains why Patterson, a probable first-round pick in next summer’s NBA draft, ended up in the living room of a total stranger last week. After serving as an instructor during a Kentucky’s basketball camp for women, Patterson encountered a mother in the parking lot who needed a ride home because her husband had experienced car trouble.
As if offering to give her a lift wasn’t enough, Patterson followed her into her home and spent 10 minutes talking with her husband – an avid Wildcats fan – and their two young sons.
Patterson approves almost everyone who requests access to his Facebook page. As of Wednesday he had 4,992 friends. One of them is Heather Durham, a 14-year-old Kentucky fan with cystic fibrosis.
Heather, who is on the waiting list for a double-lung transplant, had never met Patterson when she sent him an instant message a few months ago, so she wasn’t expecting him to respond. Patterson, though, spent the following two months offering encouragement to Heather during online chat sessions.
Patterson took things a step further a few weeks ago when he showed up at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital for a surprise visit with his new friend. Heather said the two of them talked for nearly two hours.
“He was so cool,” Heather said during a phone interview Monday. “He told me he’d be praying for me.”
"I want to be someone that fans always remember.”
Patterson has already accomplished that mission. Not just because of his play on the court, but because of what he does off of it.
“I don’t think a lot of athletes realize how much people are watching them,” Patterson said. “People look at us as the top dogs on campus. We’ve got an example to set. We can influence and help so many people by just doing the little things.
“Smiling, being friendly, that kind of stuff.”
Patterson smiled.
“It’s really not that hard,” he said.
(To view the full story by Jason King, go to rivals.yahoo.com 10/16/09)
Proverbs 3:27 [NIV]
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
I Timothy 4:12 [NIV]
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Titus 2:7 [NIV]
In everything set them an example by doing what is good.
What does God's Story teach us about doing "the little things"?
I love Patrick Patterson's approach to life..."Smiling, being friendly...It's really not that hard."
Today's scriptures teach us to do the same thing...do good...if it is in your power to do something good...just do it. It doesn't even matter if you are young. Just set an example by doing the little things...good things.
Jesus set for us a similar example. He washed His disciples' feet. He acted as a servant. Then he got up and told us to go and do the same thing...serve others.
Connecting today's story and God's Story with my story
I would definitely encourage you to read the entire article from today's story because it contains much more about how Patrick Patterson lives his life. He is a very hard worker, great student, strong leader and he still finds time to pray for others and helps those in need.
You and I probably aren't going to end up being 6' 9", 235lbs and blessed with enough athletic talent to be one of the best basketball players in the country. We likely aren't going to have the same "stage" as Patrick Patterson to impact others...but each of us can do the little things.
So if God is calling us to do good to others maybe we could...
- Genuinely smile at others
- Find out how we can pray for at least one person each day
- Help a neighbor with some yard work
- Go and visit someone who is in the hospital
- Tutor a fellow classmate or someone younger
- Go and serve at church...maybe with childcare or an outreach
- Write a note of encouragement
- Send a care package to a soldier
- Do a chore at home without being asked...crazy, I know
- Open a door for the person behind you
- Help clean up a mess that isn't yours
- Show up at an event for someone you are reachinhg out to
- Take time just to listen to a friend who needs it
And this is just a small list of ideas! There are all kinds of ways we can serve this world...and as long as it is within our power to act...we should!
Connecting today's story, God's Story and my story with my friend's story
Just imagine what would happen if you did that list of simple acts of goodness. Those around you would be...
- encouraged
- prayed for
- helped
- listened to
- loved
- comforted
...all because God's people went out to serve others and do the little things. As Patterson said, "It's really not that hard."
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