The Kindness Of Others

As I am sitting down typing out this post, I am wondering if the title is a little off. You'll see as you read that this post is about actions, but I keep coming back to the root of some of the things I am getting ready to tell you about, and the only thing I can come up with is kindness. Maybe because it's the motivating factor. Maybe because it is something so lacking in our society, so when it happens, we have to call it what it is. You'll see by the end, maybe it should be called kindness of others- paying it forward.

Let me start by saying we are getting ready to start collecting school supplies and backpacks for needy kids at a local elementary school. Our church has done stuff like this before, like winter coats and hats, sponsoring a family for Christmas, helping meet a need wherever we can. This one is super exciting to me though because the kid's program at our church, which I oversee, is heading it up. All my kids in my Sunday school classes will be helping fill the backpacks, helping get the word out that this is what we are doing. A couple of them will come with me to drop them off to the school too. A great experience for them, I am sure. Another reason I am so excited about this is because it is another opportunity for me to pay it forward. Now, let me tell you a story.

Last fall and early winter, I missed a lot of work, being in and out of the hospital for seizures and massive headaches. We're talking migraines that lasted for days. After a 5 day stint, I got out the day before thanksgiving, and was cleared to go back to work the second week in December. I used up all of my paid time off, so I took a pretty big hit pay wise. We were in a position to give the kids a small Christmas that year, but nothing special. And, we were OK with that. We decided it would be good for us, and for the kids, to experience the true meaning of Christmas without all of the materialism. Now at church, we decided to sponsor a family, and the week of Christmas, all of us would deliver all of the gifts and holiday foods we had collected to this family. Even though Emily and I were in no position ourselves, we still gave. Nothing big, a grocery card and some Christmas cookies. I had heard our friends tell us about this family. How they had been through so much over the last few years, and they just couldn't catch a break. About how in previous years, they had given so much of themselves to others, helping others, serving at church. I heard them talk about how great the kids in this family were. I was excited to be able to bless such a deserving family, so we all got in our cars, loaded up with gifts and goodies, and caravanned to the family's home. After about a ten minute drive, we pulled into the back side of my neighborhood. I remember commenting to Emily that maybe we knew this family. Then we turned on my street. It didn't dawn on me until we pulled up in front of my house, that the family being blessed so unselfishly, so kindly, was us. I could do nothing but sob as I watched my friends, and people from our church unload box after box, and bag after bag, into our living room, under our Christmas tree. The boys were all crying, and stunned. Completely stunned. I hugged every person that night. We prayed in our living room, and sang Christmas songs. The tree was light, and decorations out. It was perfect. It was magical. It was amazing. Such joy, such love. When I asked my friend, our pastor, why he selected us, he simply said we wanted you guys to know we care. We wanted you to not just have an OK Christmas, we wanted you to have an amazing Christmas.

Even now, as I am typing this, the memory and feeling of that night is choking me up. The kindness of others brought so much hope, love, and joy into our lives. Here's the thing, if it stopped with us, it would have been wasted. Through the blessings we received, we were able to help my sister, who is a single mother, give her girls a little extra for Christmas. We had a wonderful family meal on Christmas night, which was so important to all of us, since my father was so ill. So now, any chance I get to pay it forward, whether with a kind word, or a hug, or just listening to someone, I do. My wife as well. The best part is that my kids even take the opportunity to be kind to others when the situation arises. (If only I could get them to be kind to each other!!!)

That is why I am so excited to be part of an act of kindness where I am the giver of kindness this time. It came full circle. The bible says you reap what you sew, and I have seen that in my life. My prayer is that I never miss an opportunity to extend kindness to others, and my encouragement for those of you reading this, is to do the same. It does something for your heart, and some day, some way, you'll get it back. Be blessed!!!