And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.[Matt. 10:42]

I was reminded by a friend today that “God honors even ‘a cup of cold water.'” Many times we are confronted by something so awful and huge that any effort of ours seems pathetically tiny and useless. However, even a tiny flame drives back the dark.

A friend lost her husband to cancer this week. He struggled valiantly for a miraculous four years, the usual time from diagnosis to death being less than two years. From what she has written he was ready to go and had a good and holy death. Still, even when death is not unexpected, the pain of losing a spouse is unimaginable. She lives several states away and there is little I can offer. They have been in my prayers and will continue to be; I contributed my mite to a gift from a group of friends. Today I stood in front of a rack of sympathy cards and had the unenviable task of choosing one. What can one say? How can a few pieces of paper sent through the mail make a dent in such a sea of sorrow?

I don’t know. It seems pathetic. But God honors even a cup of cold water, or a sympathy card.

May the memory of Theophan be eternal!