disaster…and the Voice speaks. A blanket is given to a homeless person…and the Voice speaks. A flower blooms on a battlefield…and the Voice speaks.
The Voice speaks through others also, as in the story I would like to share with you about a man I never met. The husband of a wonderful woman, he passed away recently and although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I left the funeral service certain I had missed someone special because he obviously was a man worth knowing.
This wonderful man knew the power of the Voice. Even the pastor who officiated over the service cried as he told story after story of how this man helped people hear the Voice again. Of how this amazing man brought people back to the Voice at every opportunity; because to him, meeting anyone was just such an opportunity. This man, because he knew the Voice so well, touched so many lives. He has definitely left his mark in this world by sharing the Voice with others; making a difference in their life and his own.
At the service a friend of mine spoke a few words about this amazing man and spoke of how it took him two hours to go to the store to buy a Pepsi. Yes, that morning ritual was his way of spreading the message of the Voice to everyone. As he made his rounds he was not ashamed to talk about the Voice. He never cowered behind the grumblings of those who tried to suppress the Voice. The Voice lived in him and he offered it freely to everyone who came into his life.
Even though everyone already knew about the Voice, some had just forgotten, you see. Which is quite astonishing really, when you realize the Voice is all around us. It’s in the wind that blows through the trees. It’s in the sound of waves caressing the shore. It’s in the comfort of a child’s hand in yours. It’s in the smile of a stranger. It’s in the warmth of an embrace. It’s in the knowing that all will be well when things seem their worse.
The Voice will always and forever be. The Voice will outlive eternity. The Voice is never silent, it tells us to love and be kind to one another because we are all the same. We are all human. We are all part of the same Voice. Are you listening?
Can you imagine…if everyone could hear the Voice?
Pay Kindness Forward
Column # 308, Published 11-29-12
Philippians 4:5 reads: “Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do.”
The virtue of kindness is an act of ‘unselfish’ charitable behavior and being ‘considerate’ of others. Kindness flows directly from our hearts and isn’t dramatic or complicated. Kindness simply comes in the form of a kind word, a pleasant disposition, a smile, a compliment, an offer to help. Kindness is simple. Kindness is thoughtful. Kindness says you care.
Research has also shown that an act of kindness not only benefits the recipient, but also the giver. So true, isn’t it? Our hearts feel lighter when we offer a simple act of kindness toward another because it’s the thread of virtuousness that binds us together as human being.
Writing this column reminded me of a story that I’ve never told anyone before, but I’d like to share it with you. When I was about twelve, I was returning by plane from my father’s home in Alaska to my mother’s in Massachusetts. Unexpectedly stranded overnight in Chicago due to inclement weather, the airline chauffeured me to a hotel and made sure I was picked up in the morning. At my young age, I was understandably anxious about the ordeal, but I’d always been an independent child and made the best of my new found circumstance. Arriving back at the airport the next morning however, I realized I wasn’t carrying money because we obviously hadn’t foreseen my flight being delayed. Penniless, I was hungry and had no idea what I was going to do about breakfast.
A passenger on another flight noticed me sitting alone at a restaurant table drinking water from a paper cup and asked if I needed help. Nervously, I explained the delay, staying overnight and (embarrassed by my confession) I mentioned I couldn’t afford breakfast. He generously handed me money so I could buy something to eat. Momentarily stunned by this stranger’s kindness, when I finally found words I stammered something about how to repay him. He told me to pay it forward and help someone else instead.
I was so touched by his unselfish act of kindness I vowed to be that kind of person when I grew up. Well, I’m going to be bluntly honest. I grew up angry and resentful instead. It wasn’t until the good Lord, in all His infinite wisdom, gave me a time-out in the form of being bedridden for two years that my unkindness became a flashing neon reminder I wasn’t the person I had promised myself I wanted to be when I grew up. And I wasn’t proud of myself, yet grateful for the ‘pause’ to gain insight. So, bit by bit I chiseled away at the negativity and began to rebuild my ‘self’ into someone I am proud to call ‘a daughter,’ ‘a mother,’ ‘a friend,’ and now ‘a grandmother.’
Friends, you don’t have to wait for someone to show you kindness. Take it upon yourself to be good and kind to those you see every day and gently remind them to pay kindness forward…because giving, IS receiving.
Can you imagine…if kindness was a virtue no one could live without?
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