As we prepare to celebrate 25 years of Diaconal Ministries Canada, we’re excited to share a special three-part blog series from our National Director, John Wildeboer.
Discovering the Good
Recognizing the gifts, strengths, and opportunities God has already placed within our churches and communities.
Sharing Our Gifts
Using the unique gifts God has entrusted to each of us to serve our neighbours and build flourishing communities.
Renewing Canada
Joining God in His work of renewal as churches become catalysts for hope, justice, reconciliation, and shared flourishing.
A theme verse I received during my Arrow Leadership Training was a paraphrase of Ephesians 2:10: “Each day I want to walk into the good things God has prepared in advance for me to do.”
John Wildeboer.
That simple prayer has shaped the way I approach each day.
Many of my best days are the days I keep this thought front and center. When I go to the grocery store or to a hearing aid appointment, my focus shifts from “How quickly can I get this done?” to “What good thing has God prepared for me to do in this place, at this moment?”
Instead of rushing past the young mom with a child sitting in the shopping cart, I might have the opportunity to offer a word of encouragement or a warm smile. Instead of simply checking in at the hearing aid clinic, I can ask the receptionist how her mother is doing after the health concerns she shared with me during my last visit. These moments may seem small, but they are rarely insignificant.
Behavioral researcher, bestselling author, and human behavior educator Vanessa Van Edwards notes that when we remember details about someone’s life – whether big or small – it actually triggers the release of endorphins in their brain, helping them feel seen, valued, and cared for. You can often see the change on their face.
But that only happens when we slow down enough to listen, to notice, and to recognize the intrinsic value of every person we encounter. After all, you have never met a person who is not made in the image of God. Living with that conviction changes the way we relate to people.
What’s even more remarkable is that kindness doesn’t stop with the person who receives it. Social scientists describe a phenomenon called social diffusion. It is the tendency for attitudes and behaviors to spread from person to person. I think of it simply as the ripple effect.
Just as a stone dropped into a still pond sends ripples far beyond the point of impact, a simple act of kindness often inspires another. When someone experiences unexpected encouragement or compassion, they are more likely to extend that same kindness to someone else. One conversation, one smile, one thoughtful question can begin a chain reaction that reaches people we may never meet.
You may have noticed that I quoted only part of Ephesians 2:10. The verse actually begins:
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
For many years, I understood “God’s handiwork” to refer only to those who were already part of the church. But as I have grown, I have come to see something even more beautiful.
Every person bears the image of God. Every person is deeply loved by Him. Every person possesses immeasurable dignity and worth. God is already at work in people’s lives long before we recognize it, inviting them into the good purposes for which they were created.
The joy of the Christian life is joining God in that work—helping people discover this profound, life-changing truth.
And often, it begins with something as simple as walking into the good things God has already prepared for us to do today.
So today, slow down.
Notice the people around you.
Ask one more question.
Remember one small detail.
Offer one unexpected word of encouragement.
You never know how far the ripples will travel.
