Over the years I have had people that have done random acts of kindness for me or my family and I am a firm believer in passing that on to others as much as I possibly can. For instance, I had a guy, sometimes guys, that took care of my mowing the entire time I was gone to Spain. I have had complete strangers buy my lunch because I was in uniform. I even had one lady give me a hug one day while in Books-A-Million. It was right before Christmas and I had gone there on my lunch hour (in uniform) to look for a gift. I noticed that this lady kept ending up on the same aisle that I was on. Finally she just came up to me and said "Can I hug you? I just want you to know how much you are appreciated and I pray for you and many like you everyday!"
Yesterday I had a chance to give back to someone and hopefully it will make a difference in this persons life. One of my co-workers is going through a tough time right now. He has some medical issues as well as some family issues that he is going through. When I left for lunch I saw he and his wife talking and I could tell that things were not going well. For some reason, it hit me that I needed to get him something that he could use to seek comfort when it felt like his world was falling apart. So, I bought him a Bible while I was out for lunch. I told him that I was by no means a Bible scholar but that I had found words of wisdom and comfort in the Bible when things weren't going right in my life. Now, this really put me outside of my comfort zone because the Bible, God, Jesus, or Church are not words normally associated with my workplace. In fact, it is more the opposite end of the proverbial dictionary where most of my co-workers choose their words from, if you get my drift? He said he appreciated the kindness and would always keep it. I hope that it becomes something that he will use to help him through his tough times.
I tell you all this not to boast or toot my own horn, I tell you this to challenge you to look for opportunities to do something for someone. Step out of your comfort zone! "Try the spicy mustard" as my friend Philip says! That's another story for another time, just trust me, it means the same thing as try something different, do something out of the ordinary! In this crazy world we live in, it's nice to know that there are still people out there who will help someone when they are in need or lend an ear when a friend needs someone to listen. You never know, if you do something nice or helpful for someone, eventually, when you least expect it God will send someone to help you in your own time of need.
Proverbs 11:17 "A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings disaster on himself."
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