Sometimes the simplest kindness can inspire others to do the same.
Yesterday was a really busy day at the school where I work. It was our annual Thanksgiving Feast celebration and we had close to a thousand people signed up to come and eat. There were people checking in and out all day long with very little down time.
On top of that, it had been a long week. It had rained all week long, pouring rain, and we had flash flood watches and river flooding watches. I hadn’t seen the sun in days. By Thursday, I really just longed to be home on my couch, underneath a blanket.
On that previous Sunday, when we returned from church, there had been a gift leaning up against my garage door. It was an Advent Calendar with a big Santa Clause on it. I knew immediately who it was from, but I wondered how it got there.
An elderly widow lived across the street from us from the time we bought our house until last summer, when she announced to us she was moving into a retirement community. She had shared with that me she was lonely and she was ready to move. She told me with a twinkle in her eye that she had heard that place was just like living in a sorority house. I was so sad to see her go, but really happy for her.
She bought my kids Advent Calendars our very first Christmas in our new home and continued every year well into their teenage years. I hadn’t thought much about this year until I saw it and the card she included brought tears to my eyes. She said she thought my son might enjoy one last Advent Calendar before he went off to college.
Her thoughtfulness and kindness really touched my heart and I gave thanks for her influence on my childrens’ lives. She certainly didn’t have to be so kind to them, but she always was. She was an inspiration to me and I prayed that God would show me opportunities to show kindness to others when I didn’t have to.
Yesterday, at the end of the day, I walked down to a classroom to get some kiddos to check out. The office was packed and there were some classes in transition and I was grateful for the escape. I walked purposefully to my destination holding a radio in my hand and after I found the teacher, I headed back.
But, as I headed towards the office, a kindergartener stopped me. She was at the water fountain trying to fill her water bottle. She asked me if I could loosen the top for her. That Advent Calendar blazed across my mind as a teacher came down the hall and offered to help her. I smiled, put the walkie underneath my arm and told her that was okay, I loosened the top and handed it back to her. The little girl beamed and thanked me as she walked back to the fountain.
God has often spoken to me through children. I think they are sometimes beacons for Jesus. It didn’t occur to the little girl that I was tired, or in a hurry, or that I had something in my hand. She was thirsty and she needed assistance, so she asked and I was given the opportunity that I had prayed for.
I was humbled and thankful. A little girl and an Advent Calendar reminded me that as we travel through Thanksgiving and head towards Advent that our aching world is filled with opportunities to be kind, and that if we prayerfully keep watch, God will show us the way. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂