(This week we continue our series on “The Fruit of the Spirit” with a discussion on the word “kindness.”)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
The other day I went out to lunch with a close friend who I have not spent much time with lately. I was eager to sit down with her and catch up with the events of her life, and share with her my latest happenings.
As we entered the restaurant, and walked up to the greeting area to get a seat, we both looked at the woman who stood in line directly in front of us. It was obvious that she was homeless, and she was trying desperately to talk to the hostess who was paying her little attention. I believe the woman may have had a stroke at one time or another because she spoke with a slurred kind of speech usually seen in such patients. The hostess started to help us, and I thought for a moment that she was being rude in ignoring this poor woman, but only a moment passed before another hostess came and led me and my friend to a table.
I immediately forgot the incident, but my friend didn’t. She indicated her displeasure about the woman being disregarded. That is when I thoughtlessly said something about us not knowing the whole situation.
My friend and I had a wonderful lunch and we both promised each other that we would not let so much time pass before we had lunch again. As we prepared to leave, my friend spotted the little lady who had previously been ignored, sitting at a booth and sipping a cup of coffee.
My friend excused herself, and with a look of displeasure clearly written on her face, she walked up to the hostess who had previously disregarded the woman and whispered something to her. Then my friend pulled out her wallet and paid to have lunch brought to the woman.
Of course I immediately felt about one inch tall. I’m a minister and I cast a blind eye to the woman’s plight. In hind sight I know that I should have been the one to offer to do something, but I didn’t. It was a wakeup call for me. I now know that I need to start paying more attention to the people around me. Especially my dear friend who has a compassionate heart that reaches out to anyone in need.
How wonderfully ironic that I am writing about “kindness” this week? I suppose God felt He needed to humble me a bit before I wrote this post. Thank you, Lord!
The Bible is full of passages that tell us about the word kindness. These passages describe God’s kindness to us and how we are to be kind to others. They teach us that we are to be especially kind in our speech and with our substance. They also provide us with examples of people who have been kind to others, or who have been blessed by the kindness of others. We can all learn from their wisdom.
