Share your Gatorade

Sometimes things can happen to make a pretty great moment not so great anymore.

Like when you spill your Gatorade.

I was at a picnic yesterday, and two young friends sat down on a sidewalk next to one another to enjoy their burgers and the beautiful sunshine together. They both had cups of Gatorade, and in one swift movement one of the girls accidentally knocked her cup over, and I watched as the Gatorade went floating down the sidewalk, and a look of disappointment came over her sweet face.

Before I could even say or do anything, I witnessed something I honestly wasn't expecting: without a single word, her friend poured half of her cup of Gatorade into the empty cup. Then it was as if the spilling incident had never even happened, as both girls continued with their burgers and conversation.

I was stunned.

When I was a very young girl, I started playing soccer solely because my brother played and because I wanted the Gatorade at halftime of the games. I really love Gatorade. Would I be willing to give up half of my Gatorade without any hesitation whatsoever to a friend in need?

Little moments

We frequently encounter situations in life when we face similar circumstances—involving things other than Gatorade, obviously—and we have to decide if we are going to help people out or not. But, many of these situations mean we will have to sacrifice our own time or possessions, and suddenly that Gatorade seems more necessary to quench our thirsts alone and not be shared with anyone.

One thing I learned on the soccer field, though, is that Gatorade tastes a lot better when you're drinking it with others.

If there's one piece of wisdom I've gained in my 29 years, it's that little moments are huge—because even the smallest things can be filled with tremendous amounts of love. One friend giving half of her Gatorade to another friend had nothing to do with the contents of that cup. She didn't care. Instead, she cared about a friend she loves dearly who needed her in that moment, and she didn't even think twice about herself and how much she had to drink. It was so simple yet so selfless and so beautiful.

Bob Goff, an author who truly changed the way I look at life with his book Love Does, said, "The way we love each other is the best evidence that Jesus is still alive." And those opportunities aren't always going to come at us in drastic or obvious ways—like helping someone with a flat tire on the side of the road—but rather in seemingly small forms that we often overlook.

Like sharing your Gatorade.

I know it's hard to give your time to others, because time is so valuable. But that's the thing—time is so valuable. It's limited. We're not going to be here forever, and we aren't going to have forever to show love to people here on earth. But we can make the most of the moments we are given to share more of ourselves and the things we have with those in need.

And then those not-so-great moments seem to disappear, because genuine love overshadows them all.