I mentioned this my sister Diane. Her written reply surprised and touched me:
You've done a lot.
You work hard.
You can always be counted on to help out when we need it.
You spent hours online helping our kids look for summer jobs.
You take care of your mother and your family.
You donate stuff to charity.
You never threw any of your not-always-so-nice kids out the window (where they could land on an unsuspecting letter carrier or meter reader.)
You take the time to talk to lonely people in stores who talk to you.
If you think about it, we all live most of our lives for others.
When was the last time you did something just because you felt like it?
I'm sure that you didn't feel like cleaning up the kitchen tonight, or shopping for groceries this week, or doing laundry.
You probably didn't even feel like taking the dogs out for a walk.
I once heard a nun speak about her work with children in Africa.
She said that her sacrifice was no more important than the work we do for our families.
God sees all your little sacrifices, and they all add up to a huge one.
All the little things you do are important.
You do good.
