Acts of kindness are easy
"He (the benevolent person) scatters abroad; He give to the poor; his deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence go on and endure forever!"
- 2 Corinthians 9:9 (AMP)
It was blazing hot day. As my friend drove along, she noticed the workers doing construction on her road, wiping beads of sweat from their foreheads and wearing T-shirts drenched with perspiration. Her heart was burdened as she watched them struggle against the hot sun to complete their tasks.
Upon entering her home, she flung open the refrigerator door, gripped some bottles of water and hurried back to the work site. When she stopped the car and carried these cold drinks to the workers, their sweaty, tan faces beamed with relief that someone was kind enough to bring them a cool drink. As she drove away, she was overcome by the good feeling that she helped someone in need.
I love to think of the many ways there are to impart a kind gesture. We all need them. They help nurture our souls when they need refreshment and keep us moving forward. The Bible informs us that God will always remember our acts of kindness and love. However, fear that we are being taken advantage of can keep us from putting forth acts of kindness. That's why they must be done with the heart attitude to bless another.
Some of the ways we can show random acts of kindness are by giving a tip or gratuity to the person that carries out our groceries or the waitress serving our table. Allowing someone to go ahead of us in line or opening the door for another person is a way of making someone more important than ourselves.
Planting flowers outside our home can bring a smile to the face of passers-by and a delight to our heart. Giving a smile to another, being gentle spirited with the cashier who messed up our bill, or giving an unexpected gift to a friend or co-worker is also a benevolent act.
With the use of our imaginations and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the opportunities to be kind to someone are endless. Think what might happen if, whenever we had the chance, we stopped along life's path to sow seeds of kindness.
• Annettee Budzban is Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She is available to speak at your group or event. She can be contacted by email at Annetteebudzban@aol.com.