My secretary, Francie, has a very treasured family recipe book -- it's a red book and in its worn pages are recipes from her mother and her grandmother (grandmother who lived on the island of Borneo where her husband worked and Francie tells me that red book contains some fabulous curry recipes from Borneo). Anyway, Francie and her friend were planning a dinner party and she wanted to peruse that old red book for ideas.
On her way out the door, Francie was juggling boxes and all sorts of other items -- she dropped some things in the garage trash cans while heading to the car -- and she came to work, thinking that she had her red recipe book with her. When she unloaded her things at her desk, she couldn’t find it. But Francie figured she had left it in her car. At lunchtime, she discovered it wasn't there either. She went home that afternoon, thinking it was either on the kitchen counter or she had accidentally dropped it in the trash can in the garage. No red recipe book! Francie tore the place apart, looking high and low, but still, that family treasure was nowhere to be found. After looking everywhere, even in front of her house in the street and the gutter, she gave up. She figured somewhere, somehow it was gone.
Well, a couple of days later, Francie got home from work, checked her phone machine, and a stranger left a message describing how she was driving behind this car and when it made a right-hand turn, a red book fell off the trunk. The stranger stopped, picked up the red book, leafed through it, and found Francie's name -- faded and in smeared ink -- but also, a phone number. Boy, was my friend relieved! She's got her family recipe book back, all because of the simple act of kindness of a stranger.
But acts of kindness should not necessarily mark strangers – no, in fact, in this day and age, you won't find many strangers who care or who will want to take the time and effort. Rather, kind deeds are the hallmarks of Christians. Colossians 3 says, "... as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness and patience." Do you see that? As God's chosen people, we are to show kindness. And it's interesting that in Scripture, kindness is always described as an act -- one shows, exercises, or demonstrates kindness. It is a tangible, thoughtful expression of God's love expressed through deeds.
Friend, you will encounter scores of opportunities today through which you can -- and should -- exercise kindness, so take the time, would you? Make the effort. Show you care; or rather, that God cares. Demonstrate the goodness of our Lord to someone who needs his encouragement. For as you do, you'll not only prove you are one of God's chosen people... you will know you are dearly loved by our Lord.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends