Kindness Has a Face

We didn’t consider ourselves poor. In fact, we felt very rich. We were expecting our first child. Charles was happy working as a veterinarian in Cairo having just graduated from the University, and we had a church home, First Baptist Cairo, with many good friends. What could be better? But, though not poor, we didn’t have much money.

Shopping for groceries was quite a game. I chose items so carefully, studying the prices, doing the math in my head, hoping not to go over the $25 in my pocket. One Saturday I miscalculated and came up short $1.00. I stood there at the counter doing a quick assessment deciding which item I would leave behind.

The grocer, Mr. Harrell at Big Star, waved a hand over my collection and said, “You know you can just bring me a dollar next time you’re in. No problem.”

If there hadn’t been a counter between us and if I hadn’t been so fat I could have hugged that sweet man. His kindness made an impression that has lingered all these years. And I can think of so many other moments of kindness, moments when kindness had a face.

I was stuck in an awkward parking space the other day and a stranger, seeing my dilemma, stepped up and began patiently directing me, one turn at a time, until I was free to go. Interestingly, that very afternoon I was talking to my son Will who was on the road when he suddenly said, “Mom, I’ve got to go. There’s a lady having some kind of problem.” I chuckled thinking that my son was paying back the kindness I’d just been shown.

Just a kind tone of voice from a stranger on the phone answering my dumb questions, or a merry greeting from a clerk, or someone holding a door for me, or picking up something I dropped–all those little kindnesses perk my day up, make me want to pass on kindness to others. You don’t have to look hard for opportunities to cheer someone.

Have you been a recipient or giver of a kindness lately? A kindness can be so subtle as to be hardly noticeable. Or it can make the difference between a bad day and a good day. Small kindnesses ease the pain of much bigger hurts just as a mother’s calm voice and gentle touch can soothe a child’s broken heart or skinned knee. Try letting some tired person go ahead of you in check-out, or listen to a child’s story of his day, and feel the glow of God-given kindness.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, KINDNESS, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22