The Bubble Effect

I’ve always been a fan of the little things.

Small, subtle acts of romance or friendship have always been what’s most important to me. There’s beauty in quiet, purposeful love.

But I noticed something the other day that took me by surprise: [Tweet “The love we share by accident might be just as important as the love we share on purpose.”]

Our family spent a week last fall on the beach in Port Aransas, Texas. We swam, built sand castles, and sunburned our shoulders. It was heavenly.

On the second day of our trip, my daughter, G, found a bottle of bubbles tucked in the sand toys basket. As most of you know, three-year-olds delight in bubbles, so she immediately got to work.

It was particularly windy that day, so not only was she able to blow an astounding number of bubbles, but the gusts carried the bubbles an incredible distance. Well, an incredible distance for bubbles.

G happily let the wind do her work for her. She didn’t even have to blow. She simply dipped the wand into the liquid and let Mother Nature create and carry away each clear, dreamy orb. G danced around, having the time of her life, completely unaware of anything else.

But in her oblivion, G missed something. The bubbles were just copious enough, and the wind was carrying them just far enough, that they were reaching two little girls a little ways down the beach. A bubble or two would float under their umbrella and they would giggle and point. G had no idea that her actions were bringing others joy. She was just caught up in being joyful herself.

As I watched my sweet one laugh and dance with glee, I got to witness the effects of her elation. She was completely clueless that her happiness had multiplied just a few yards over.

Friends, I believe this to be true of all of us. Our love, our happiness, our joy—they make an impact we can’t see. The way we treat others doesn’t just affect them, it touches the next person they encounter as well, and the next.  Our attitudes, good or bad, set the scene for others. We may never know what happens to them, but we should care.

This is especially true if you’re a Christ follower.

The book of John tells us that Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT). Our love for one another. Not our condemnation, criticism, or judgement. The world gives people enough of those things. Loving others, regardless of the way we’re treated, is a direct indicator of whether or not Christ is in us. We should be so caught up in the joy and love of Christ that not only does our joy multiply, but our love for him does too.

That love can have a bubble effect. [Tweet “Crazy, Jesus-style love in the face of hatred or ridicule will be noticed by someone.”] You might never meet them, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t watching. Your life and the love you share matters. Whether you see the joy it brings or not, it matters.

It matters because it multiplies. Just like G’s bubbles multiplied the happiness on the beach that day, our love (or lack of it) grows in the hearts of others.

So where do we go from here?

Because this is a choice.

Will your bubbles carry love, joy, and kindness? Or will they carry something else?

Becky Yurisich is a full-time Army wife and mom, and an occasional teacher of first graders. She is an unapologetic follower of Jesus and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Becky holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from UNC, and dreams of writing a book. She blogs at beckyyurisich.com.