Do good to all people
I couldn’t wait to share the latest example of the impact of doing good things for others. During the Christmas season, I hear story after story of acts of kindness-imagine if we all did this year round and focused on doing at least one good thing for someone else everyday?
My husband and I were both away from home with travel and the girls were home with my mom. I am sure every parent out there can imagine my immediate concern when one of the twins sent me a text asking me who were the people at our house. I was an airplane ride away and could not check on things and my mom had not yet arrived at the home. I was thankful for the ring camera that allowed me to see who was on our porch and to make sure the girls were ok. When I pulled up the live footage, I saw the unexpected. A group of dear friends and family were on my porch decorating for Christmas. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I later found out that our small women’s bible study group in the neighborhood had come together in an email chain that excluded me and began to make a plan. They decorated my porch and provided food for my family. This small group of women, who had witnessed the difficult season I had traveled, came together and through a simple act of kindness provided me a beacon of light when I pulled into my driveway after a week of travel with work. What an absolute blessing and act of kindness. It was not something I requested, or even knew I needed. It simply was, the perfect gift.
Doing good for others is contagious- even in your darkest days, when you focus outside of self, and care for others, it miraculously uplifts your spirits. “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). These simple acts of kindness, whether it is a handwritten note, a small gift given when it’s not even a birthday, or a hug.
I picked up one of the girls from her hair appointment today, and we sat and chatted with her hair dresser. She shared a touching story of one of her clients that had lost her husband. When she asked her what she missed most, she said she missed his hugs. Our hairdresser immediately asked her if she could give her a hug-and she did, she gave her the biggest hug possible. A simple act of kindness after taking the time to listen and to be present in someone else’s world…even for a minute. What a difference that made in her life, what a smile it brought to her to feel the warmth of a hug that she had missed so dearly.
Tonight we had our normal dinner and the girls sent out invites to friends-on a weeknight with exams tomorrow! It was a crazy day of running around and by the time I got home everyone was there and dinner was not quite ready. Everyone chipped in and we set the table and all the stress of the day melted away as we sat together and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. I don’t think any of them knew how much the simple acts of helping to prep food, clean up afterwards, or help with packaging Christmas goodies made my day end with a smile on my face versus with a look of weariness from all that had to be done today. A simple act of kindness, taking the time to give a helping hand…what a difference it made in my life.
I also heard from a former classmate at West Point that shared a tradition with her friends to go eat somewhere where they each leave a $100 tip at the end of the meal. Imagine the impact of that generosity on a stranger’s life. A simple act of kindness from a stranger…imagine the impact.
God calls us to do good to all people. He doesn’t say do good with the expectation of what you will get in return, He just says “do good to all people.” He doesn’t say do good to people who need you, or to people who look like you, He says “do good to all people”.
Today, and everyday, I pray that you take the time to do something good, even when your day feels heavy on your shoulders. Pause and take a moment to do good. What does it cost you to do good? A blink of time in a lifetime. I pray that as we enter this Christmas season, and everyday after, you approach each day with the joy and wonder of what good can you do today-what an amazing legacy that would be!
