Time and Kindness

I arrived at the address and honked the horn.

After waiting a few minutes, I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in

her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had

lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils

on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave

me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me

the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived

when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and

would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said.

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY

WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~THEY WILL

ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM

FEEL.

 You won't get any big surprise in 10 days if you send this to ten people. But, you might help make the world a little kinder and more compassionate by sending.

it on and reminding us that often it is the random acts of kindness that most benefit all of

us.

Thank you, my

friend...

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

(From an email, origin unknown)

 Harry Chapin "Cat's in the Cradle"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqwKfgLaeA

Character of the New Man- Some Thoughts Entering the New Year

Looking to the coming year I don't see good things coming. I'm mostly an optimist and know things in the end of conflict will mostly end up okay. Right now though I see economic disaster because we have an anti-business president and political party in power. Those same people are dismissive of Judaic-Christian principles and values, and that does huge damage to the culture. With that in mind, I'll still have to fight them. I love my Faith, and I love Liberty, and both are threatened. I've moved a long way from where I was in my 20's and 30's when my line was, 'you're born, you suffer, you die'. Now I'm a religious man, and belief in God and Savior informs what I do. Apostle Paul wrote:

"Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, with kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Over all these virtues put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. Christ’s peace must reign in your hearts, since as members of the one body you have been called to that peace. Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness. Let the word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you. In wisdom made perfect, instruct and admonish one another. Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns, and inspired songs." Colossians 3:12

As a society we've put these values to rest. I see no mercy and kindness, just incessant attacks by the State and it's supporters in politics and the Jurassic press. Rush Limbaugh goes to the hospital and those people cheer and hope he dies. Sarah Palin, a mother that has stayed married and raised a family with her husband, has loving parents, got involved in her community and effected good change, is hated and vilified in the most vile ways. What kind of culture is it that promotes the suffering of others?

I don't want to chronicle all the ills our country is suffering. All I can do is know and practice the best I can the values Paul says we as Christians must live, expressed from our hearts. We can only influence the small circle around us...be the stone in the small calm pond that sends out ripples. The waters are turbulent now, so we must use bigger stones of kindness, meekness, humility and patience. That's very tough, because the people in power now, politics and press and popular culture see those as weakness and gives them the right to force their ideology of command and control on the rest of us.

I pray for myself that I can, this coming year, be meek (I'll need to write about what that means later, it's not what most people think it is), kind, patient, with love in my heart. It's hard, especially now, because Christians are under assault, as are people that want the freedom to make their own life choices without the intervention of the State.

This year for me, more Bible study, lots and lots of praise, lots and lots of worship, lots and lots of singing praises, and sharing as much Love as I can, and express Thankfulness.

Chrestotes

chrestotes (khray-stot'-ace) gentleness, goodness, kindness
rom chrestos; usefulness, i.e. Morally, excellence (in character or demeanor) -- gentleness, good(-ness), kindness.
In the Bible:
Romans 3 times
2 Corinthians 1 time
Galatians 1 time
Ephesians 1 time
Titus 1 time
Colossians 1 time

I learned this word from my good friend Kelly, who gets much credit to introducing me to this and other ideas and trains of thought. I'm still working on wrapping my meager brain around this, but the concept keeps growing. So below are what others far more learned than I have written. Someday I'll form this into my own words, but for now I feel compelled to share.

'When the kindness of God' - Spurgeon says that “The philanthropy of God” would be a good translation...
Kindness is God's beneficial provision that meets the need of sinful man.

Kindness is not an apathetic response to sin, but a deliberate act to bring the sinner back to God.
Kindness reflects the tender concern of God, providing for helpless, hapless man what he never could have provided for himself. This is the "starting point" for our salvation. Expositors call it God's "pitying kindness that prompts Him to bestow forgiveness and blessings". John MacArthur writes that kindness (chrestotes) "connotes genuine goodness and generosity of heart. Our salvation from sin and lostness and death issued wholly from God’s kindness, His loving, benevolent, and entirely gracious concern to draw us to Himself and redeem us from sin forever."

Kindness reflects benevolence in action, kindliness which disposes one to do good but not a goodness qualitatively but a goodness in action and expressed in deed. Kindness is that temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others, which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes and which supplies their wants or alleviates their distresses. Kindness is not just a sweet disposition but is a serving trait. (This is my favorite observation.)

From Beth Moore:

"Chrestotes - is the grace which pervades the whole nature, mellowing all which would be harsh and austere. Chrestotes - is a tender heart and nurturing spirit

Hosea 11:3-4
3. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them,
4. I led them with cords of
human kindness
with ties of love;
I lifted the yoke from their
neck
and bent down to feed them.

Beth Moore says, "The cords were kindness-the tenderness of God's heart-and the ties which bound them together were His love. Don't miss an important part of this Scripture: The chrestotes or nurturing of God was their healing, whether or not they recognized it as such!
Reread the end of verse 4. There aren't many things sweeter than watching a Daddy feed his baby. This bonding experience is portrayed so typically as God "bent down to feed" His children. Just picture it! Can you almost see Him opening His mouth as He tries to get the child to open his-just like we do?"

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary summarizes "kindness" as that "state of being that includes the attributes of loving affection, sympathy, friendliness, patience, pleasantness, gentleness, and goodness. Kindness is a quality shown in the way a person speaks and acts. It is more volitional than emotional."

My brother, a very kind man, pointed out that kindness is often misinterpreted as weakness. He is quite right, and so I think that being kind is often a courageous act too.