My son spent his first decade of life in a warm East Africa climate. For his 10th birthday, I used frequent flier miles and took him to the western part of the US to experience snow.
Friends graciously opened their home to us while they were away for the Christmas holidays. When my son and I arrived, we had just a garage door opener code to get in but a fluke power outage prevented the door from opening. It was 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve . . . and we were stranded. Sheepishly, I knocked on the neighbors’ door and explained our situation. To my surprise, the family invited us to spend the night with them.
Like Job, the family opened their doors to complete strangers (Job 31:31-32), blessing us big-time! When we walked in, they immediately whisked us to their backyard to roast marshmallows over a crackling fire. Yum! Later, my son and I stayed in their lovely guestroom, and we woke up on Christmas morning to a huge breakfast and stockings filled with gifts from our thoughtful hosts (see Romans 12:7-9).
I love the Wikipedia definition of kindness: “Good and charitable behavior . . . concern for others. It is known as a virtue . . . Research has shown that acts of kindness not only benefit the receivers of the kind act, but also the giver.” Kindness is also included in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). When we extend kindness to others, we glorify the Lord who “is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness” (Psalm 145:17).
This Christmas, like my new friends in Utah, choose to display the wisdom of Proverbs 3:3 and “never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.”
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: James 1:2-27
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How have you found Proverbs 11:17 to be true?
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How has God shown kindness to you? What happens when we live out this character quality before others?
emyyq7 on December 18, 2013 at 11:43 pm
Amen! I have encountered an event very similar through which I have seen how God has been kind enough to send ‘angels’ to offer help when we’re in need.
My parents and I went to the UK to attend my graduation ceremony last November. We arrived to the little studio we were staying only at about 2 am after a journey of 12 hours flight. I tried calling the people in charge but to no avail. We were stranded in the bitter November cold and a totally unfamiliar place with no one to ask for help.
Thank God a group of young guys opened the door for us after a while. After getting to know our problem, they very kindly offered their room for us to stay in! We were totally lost for words, and could only thank them with some chocolates we brought back from our Europe tour.
May the kindness we encounter be our motivation to extend more kindness to the people in need around us. Thank You Father for Your never-ending kindness.
dbventures on December 19, 2013 at 5:21 am
Thank you roxanne. God through ODJ is really doing great things in my life. I also pray for God to fortify you with His grace and wisdom amen.
judithanne on December 19, 2013 at 7:56 am
I grew up in a home where it was more ‘blessed to take than to give’. A very dear older woman in my life has modeled the opposite to me………there is nothing she has that she wouldn’t give to me or anyone else in need! Very humbling! At first I questioned the prudence of living like this but now I see it as so absolutely biblical. I seek to follow her example now and experience a lot of blessing in doing so. I don’t give to get blessed but it happens just as the Bible says it will. Fancy that!!!! 🙂
winn collier on December 24, 2013 at 10:10 am
I think kindness may be one of my very favorite words. Thank you for this gentle story.