Small Things

All I did was send an email.

A little more than two weeks ago, I reconnected with a former youth down in Springfield. He was traveling to Columbia with some friends to watch the Baylor and Mizzou basketball game. They had been planning the trip for months. The initial plan was to stay the first night in Springfield, drive to the game on Saturday and return to Springfield on Saturday night, then return to Waco on Sunday.

Curtis was in my youth group while I was in seminary at Truett (Baylor). He was full of life, loved sports (the Royals almost always beat the Rangers while I was in Texas), and had a heart of gold. On that Saturday, a mutual friend called saying that Curtis had been admitted to the hospital in Springfield. He had appendicitis and would have his appendix removed within a couple of hours.

Jamie and I visited and we agreed that I should drive down to Springfield to be with Curtis, especially since there wasn't any way his mom or brother could join him.

I made it to Springfield in time for the tip-off. We watched the game from Curtis's recovery room. Unfortunately (for Curtis), Baylor fell apart in the second half and lost the game.

We had a good visit, catching up, and made tentative plans to try and take in a Royals and Rangers game this summer.

When I got home, though, I kept thinking there was more that I could do. I emailed my professor-now-Dean of Truett, Dr. David Garland. I simply told him the story and asked for his help.

Fast forward two weeks.

On Valentine's night, the girls were spending the night with friends, and Jamie and I were watching P.S. I Love You, when I received a phone call with a Texas area code and a Baylor prefix. I answered the phone and quickly met Scott Drew, the Baylor basketball head coach.

He asked me for the details about Curtis's story, and then asked if I had a number where he could reach Curtis. I gladly gave him the phone number.

Ten minutes later, I received a call from Curtis.

"I know you had something to do with this, and I just wanted to say thank you so much."

All I did was send an email.

It took me five minutes, at the most, yet it meant the world to Curtis.

Just imagine what a place this world could be if we all took five minutes to do something small, with great love, for someone else.