There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cookies and a few bottles of juice and started his journey.

When he had gone only a few blocks from home, he met an old man in a park. The old man was sitting by a pond, feeding the birds.

The boy sat down next to him, opened his suitcase, and was about to enjoy a drink when he noticed that the old man looked hungry. So the boy offered him a cookie.

The old man gratefully accepted, and smiled at him. His smile was so incredible that the boy wanted to see it again. So he offered him a drink.

The old man smiled at him again. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they hardly said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized he was tired and he got up to leave. But when he had gone only a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. The old man gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy got home, his mother was surprised by the happy look on the boy's face. "What did you do today that made you so happy?" she asked.

"I had lunch with God," the boy replied. But before his mother could respond, he added, "And do you know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant from his day in the park, returned to the home he shared with his grown son's family. The son was stunned by the look of peace on his father's face and asked, "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

"I ate cookies in the park with God," the old man answered. But before his son had a chance to respond, he added, "You know, He's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring--all of which have the potential to make someone's day a very special one, or even turn someone's life around.