Have you experienced a time when you began hearing or seeing a word, number, or phrase everywhere and asked yourself, "Why am I seeing this everywhere?"
I've experienced that feeling but usually chalk it up to fate or coincidence. Until one day, I didn't pass it off as a coincidence.
A couple of years ago, a word began to appear. I heard it on podcasts and the radio, saw it on TV and online, and read it in books and the newspaper.
The word was Hope. After hearing, seeing, and reading this word for weeks, I felt a divine nudge, a gentle push from God, urging me to do something. But what could I do with the word Hope?
I realized I was overthinking it. I needed to keep it simple and take action, but how? I remembered I had a small deck of cards someone had given me a while back with inspirational messages, such as "You are awesome!" or "You’re a rock star!" I tucked the cards in my purse and waited to see if anything inspired me to hand them out.
While grocery shopping one day, I decided to place the cards throughout the store. I tucked them in with the cookies, put some in t-shirt pockets, and tucked one between motor oil bottles. I placed them wherever I felt somebody would notice them.
I would never know who spotted a card or what that simple card may have done for the person. It didn't matter. I had tossed out a few Nuggets of Hope. Yep, I thought I was good to go.
But the nudges continued. Only this time, I felt nudged to approach people directly, which meant putting myself in a position of vulnerability. What if people thought I was crazy? What was I supposed to do or say?
Was I to tell people I hoped they had Hope? What was I supposed to do without looking like a whacko or a stalker?
Then it came to me. What if I had actual nuggets?
With that idea in mind, I did what most do: I googled it. I found beautiful, polished stones with the word "Hope" engraved on them. Perfect!
As I waited for my nuggets to arrive, I wondered how I should use them to instill hope in someone—or, at the very least, provide a reminder that there is hope. Another thought persisted: Who exactly am I to give these nuggets of hope to?
I reminded myself again: Keep it simple, Kim. It will come to you.
My nuggets of hope arrived, and I was ready to toss them into the world. Figuratively speaking, of course.
Armed with my nuggets of hope, I went out into the world. It was while grocery shopping I felt the first nudge.
I was walking down an aisle of the store when I noticed a woman. She was not putting anything in her cart but standing still, lost in thought, with a sad look on her face. I recognized the look. It was one of those moments when your world was heavy and stopped you in your tracks for a minute.
I reached into my pocket, held onto one of my nuggets of hope, and approached the woman.
Feeling a bit nervous as I approached the woman, I had a conversation with God. "God, what am I supposed to say? Is this the person I'm supposed to approach? Are you sure this is what you want me to do?"
The answer I received was a firm “Yes.”
"Excuse me, ma'am, I'd like to offer you a Nugget of Hope today," I said quietly, holding out my hand with the polished stone.
Surprised, she turned to me, looked down, and held out her hand to accept the stone.
"Have a blessed day." As I turned to walk away, I heard her say, "Thank you. You have no idea. Thank you."
That interaction marked the beginning of a journey I am still on. I carry my small nuggets of hope with me wherever I go. When I feel nudged to approach someone, I do. It doesn't happen all the time, but I have found that when it does happen, the person I approach is the exact person meant to receive a nugget. The impact of these small acts of kindness is profound. It's not just about the person who gets the nugget but also about the ripple effect it can create.
It hurts to see the world as it is today, or at least how it seems today, filled with division and darkness. We can all do something to make the world a better place, at least in our tiny slice of it.
Each day, we have the opportunity to spread hope and cultivate kindness. It costs nothing to be kind, and the difference you can make is immeasurable. Get out there and toss out your version of a nugget of hope. Toss hope out into the world like confetti!
The RV Book Fair 2024 Special.
Article published in The Relatable Voice Magazine - November 2024. Downolad the full magazine at:
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