For Today's Forward Day by Day readings Click Here.
If I had two tools to use out of my bag today it would be Umbrella and Raincoat! It is a wet one today in Northeast Florida.
Instead we're going to continue inspecting the contents of our bag's Complete Set and take a look at Kindness. Where Faithfulness is big and hammer-like and Love is a big wet blanket, Kindness is light and lovely. In my mind, I imagine a Hawaiian lei... real dainty-like and sweet and well received.
I went on a Hawaiian cruise many many moons ago with my grandparents and remember getting "lei-ed" upon arrival. It was such a nice surprise, and having that little piece of sweet smelling beauty around my neck made me feel very special and welcomed. So maybe that's why I think of leis when I think of the Kindness tool. It's sweet, simple and natural and makes people feel...special.
I got lei-ed, in fact, last night....at the dinner table of all places. And don't worry, I'm not talking about THAT kind of lay. Last night, I made what had to have been the worst dinner I've made of all time. The worst. I put some ground beef and onions and a few other ingredients (including too much water) in the crock pot that morning. When I came home from work, it smelled like dog food in our house. But I pressed on, even deciding to forge ahead with serving it to my family...armed with a strainer spoon. I dumped it on top of fritos and tried to call it "my new chili." Thank GOD my family made a conscious effort to use their own Kindness tools at the dinner table. No one fake gagged. No one made a face. Pleaseant conversation ensued. Someone asked non-chalantly where I'd gotten the recipe. Others dug deep for a dry frito. No one took more than a couple of bites. And they complimented the HECK out of my Sister Shubert rolls.
Thanks for the lei, family. Thanks for choosing Kindness over the powerful, but not so helpful, tool Criticism.
In today's reading we see how Jesus uses his Kindness tool to heal the official's son who is sick in another town. Part of Kindness also asks us to use it with words like, "sure" or "of course" or "I'll do it." Kindness is served up with no strings attached, no conversation about what you're giving up to do it. Or how it makes you want to barf. It's just a light, lovely bit of God's love that makes someone else feel special...even relieved.
I'll be praying for everyone to experience a good lei today.
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