Heartwarming moment of the day

My home church has a rather large family for a relatively small building, and in recent years of crowded morning services, we have taken to putting two rows of chairs on the low stage in front, as it is not actually used until what we call "family Bible hour."  Typically, it has been asked that some of the men of the church be wiling to sit there, as ladies often wear skirts, and often it has been the young college guys who are willing to use those seats and open up space in the normal rows for families and visitors. 

Well, this was before the organization of double services due to the overwhelming size of our church family.  For a few months now, we have offered 8:30 and 11:00 services, or some such timing, and people have chosen to go either to the earlier or later set of services so that the chapel has space for people to sit.  Due to winter break, Christmas, and New Years, however, we have had a few Sundays in a row where the entire church has gotten back together in one large, boisterous, wonderful service for the Christmas program, holiday sermons, and such.

With that context... Today the chairs were up front, but as it has been a while since they were needed and used, as well as because in the end we managed to fit everyone into the normal seating, none of the young men sat up front...save one small boy still in elementary school, who it seems volunteered early, before it was apparent that there was enough seating, to sit up front.  All by himself.  It was a brave little gesture, sitting in front of the whole congregation in order to free up more comfortable space for others.  For a little while, he sat up there alone, following somewhat confusedly along with the Bible passages and songs.

Probably about five to ten minutes into the service, one of the elders of the church stood and walked up to the front of the sanctuary, up onto the stage, and sat down next to the little boy at the leftmost side of the row of extra chairs.  In a very friendly, grandfatherly manner, he checked his hymn number with the boy or helped him find it in his own hymnal, and both joined back into the singing.  Just a little gesture, but it was a touching, tender image and a perfect way to start off the new year--the elder and elementary school child, each looking out for the needs of others in their own way, just the way that we as little children learn we ought to do.

It doesn't take much to brighten up someone's day, and that's how we brighten the world--one small gesture at a time.