Spreading Kindness

Recently we were at a petting zoo at a local fair where Ashley was feeding the baby animals. As she raced back from the 25-cent grain dispenser with another handful of grain, she noticed a little girl that didn't have any grain to feed the animals. The little girl pleaded to her mother, "Please Mommy, why can't I have some grain to feed the animals". "Honey, we have no money to buy grain", the mother explained to the disappointed child.

Without hesitation, Ashley walked up to the mother and asked if it would be okay if she shared some of her grain with the little girl. Touched by her gesture, the mother agreed. The little girl beamed with excitement as Ashley gave the entire handful of grain to the little girl.

The mother was so touched. She turned to me and told me what Ashley had just done. Of course, I had already seen the act of kindness that my daughter had just demonstrated. I walked over to her and hugged her and told her that she made me very proud.

This wonderful demonstration of kindness inspired me to teach a special lesson at Sunday School on how we treat other people and the amazing difference paying it forward can make. I asked each of the children to draw a picture of something kind that they have done for another person. I also challenged them to look for opportunities this week to spread kindness.

We created a display on the wall for everyone to see entitled, "Spreading Kindness - Our Kids Are Making a Difference too". Each week we will continue to put the pictures up on the wall for everyone to see.

A Heart-Warming Experience

A little over a week ago we met a family that was facing the possibility of being homeless. They had experienced some difficult times and couldn't seem to get "a break". The father is currently out of work and the mother is disabled. The children are 18 months and 10 years old.

We knew that I could help them. First, we helped them find an affordable place to live. Then the next Sunday, we stood up in church and asked for help. The family had next to nothing. They had no furniture, no beds to sleep on, no table to eat at, no couch to sit on and no television to watch. So, we asked my congregation friends for "any household items that you are no longer using".

We received an overwhelming response! Some people went shopping for the family and bought them some basic household items. Some people chipped in money. Some people brought in household items that they were no longer using.

We had people calling me that weren't even from my church. They had heard about the family from members of my church. We had one person contact me and invite me to walk through an estate that they needed to empty and simply told me to "take whatever they need".

When we brought over the first truck load of items, the 10 year old girl was so excited! She went running into the apartment to get her mother.

When we walked into the empty apartment, it didn't even look like they had moved in yet (and yet they had). By the time we left, the apartment looked a little more like home. We were able to provide them with dressers and beds, a couch, a television, linens, dishes, kitchen appliances, books, pots and pans and much, much more.

It was truly one of the most heart-warming experiences we have had in a long time. It is amazing what a difference we can make in someone's life when everybody just chips in a little.

It truly is a good life!