The great sculptor, Michelangelo was at work on one of his exquisite statues when a friend of his called on him. He said, “I can’t see any difference in the statue since I came here a week ago. Have you not been doing any work all the week?”
“Yes,” said Michelangelo, and pointing his finger at various sections of the statue he was working on, continued, “I have retouched this part, softened this feature, strengthened this muscle, and put more life into that limb.”
“But those are only trifles,” said the friend. “True,” said Michelangelo, ‘but trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle!”
Most of us suffer from ‘Triflitis’, a common ‘disease’ whose symptoms are utterances like “That does not matter’; ‘ It is such a small thing’; ‘Let us focus on more important things’; ‘These are trifles’; ‘After all’ I am late by just a minute’; ‘I have more serious matters to attend to’; and so on!
A kind deed, for instance, no matter how insignificant it may seem to the one who performs it, can turn out to be an inspiration to another. We have examples of such ‘insignificant’ deeds that have made a big, big difference.
The Melrose Suspension Bridge on the Niagara links the United States and Canada. The bridge was reportedly built in 1848 by engineer Theodore Elliot in this fashion: First, a kite with a thread attached to it was flown across the Niagara. Next, a cord was tied to the thread, and pulled across. Then a rope was tied to the cord. Finally a cable was tied to the rope and pulled across.’
Mother Teresa, if alive today, would have said that God used her, a fragile thread to bring hope to the unwanted, the destitute and the dying! Yes indeed! Let us never underestimate little things that we can easily attend to. A little thing does make a difference!
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