Barbara Freethy tells the story of a bookstore owner from Southampton, England. Due to an increase in rent, he was relocating his business. The owner put out a notice that he needed assistance in transferring the books to his new store, which was 500 feet from the old place of business. More than 250 young people, adults, elderly, and people with special needs showed up to help with the move. The workers lined up, side by side, and passed the books from hand to hand down the sidewalk to the new bookstore.
Jamie Carlton lives in Colorado. He recently arrived home from work and checked his surveillance footage. Earlier in the day, two girls and a younger boy rode their bicycles up his sidewalk. The system’s automatic voice came on letting the children know the residents were not available at the moment and to leave a message. One girl replied, “We found your wallet outside of your car, and we just thought we would give it back to you. So, I’m going to put it over here so no one takes any money.” The wallet, with $700 cash in it, belonged to Jamie’s son Nigel.
The doctor’s waiting area, in Florence, Alabama, had an age range of patients from senior adults down to babies. Jade West entered with her baby son, Jayce, asleep in her arms. As she checked in, she was handed a clipboard with papers to complete. Jade was struggling in trying to keep Jayce sleeping on her shoulder and filling in the forms at the same time. Sitting two chairs away, Joe Hale, a grandpa to seven children, watched. He wanted to help, but didn’t know how his offer would be received. When Joe expressed that he would be glad to hold her baby, Jade was so grateful. Grandpa Joe cradled Jayce’s head in his hand, gently patted him on the back, hummed, and rocked the baby. When it was Joe’s time to see the doctor, another patient volunteered to take over so Jade could finish the last of the paperwork. After a witness to the event shared their story, Grandpa Joe and Jade were interviewed. Jade again expressed how grateful she was for the help and love Joe showed her son. “For a stranger, a white man at that, asking a young black mother if he could hold her baby to help her out, then the way he loved on that baby like it was his own, it almost put me to tears every time. Kindness comes in all shapes and colors. When you come across a person with a genuine spirit of caring, like the one I encountered that day, all judgments and prejudices are immediately departed from.”
May we, too, be aware of the people and circumstances around us where we can exert a little time and effort to help, encourage, and lighten the load for others.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:10
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 3:8
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