And now you know... the rest of the story.

Paul Harvey

Years ago, a little girl named Annie was placed by her family in an insane asylum located just outside of Boston. Annie was wild and uncontrollable, so the doctors placed her in a cage in the basement of the facility. She became even more volatile. At times she would attack anyone who approached her cage, at other times she didn't even acknowledge that they were present. She was considered a hopeless case and seemed destined to spend the rest of her miserable existence in that cage in the basement.

Then love entered the life of this little girl in the form of an elderly nurse who was nearing retirement.

One day this nurse set a plate of brownies outside of the cage of this wild child who had become known to those at the facility as "Little Annie" Little Annie showed no sign that she was aware of the nurse or the brownies but the next day the brownies had disappeared. She began to visit Little Annie once a week with a plate of brownies and a heart filled with compassion. Over time a remarkable transformation took place. Little Annie became controllable and approachable, so she was moved upstairs. A short time later, the doctors pronounced her cured and told her that she could return home, but Annie did not want to leave. She wanted to stay and help others - and help others she did, both in and out of the facility.

And, as to the rest of the story? Years later, when receiving the highest honor that England could bestow upon a foreigner, Queen Victoria asked Helen Keller what she attributed her incredible accomplishments to. Without hesitation, Ms. Keller replied that, had it not been for Anne Sullivan (Little Annie), the world never would have heard of Helen Keller.

Are there any "Little Annie's" in your life? While we will never know the full extent of the little acts of kindness that we do from time to time, we can be assured that their benefits will far exceed the cost of a plate of brownies or a few minutes of our time that we have spared for others. We can also be assured that Someone is watching and will bless our small sacrifices in ways that we can never know.

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.

Matthew 10:42, NIV