Show Them Love in Action

Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Someone is always watching.

One thing I know about children: They pay attention and listen, especially when we may not want them to. In other words, children mimic their parents, grandparents, teachers, and anyone else they spend time with.

In September, I attended Grandparents’ Day at my granddaughter’s school. We convened in the gym at tables covered with brown craft paper and set up with cups of crayons. The staff served muffins, cookies, and punch and welcomed us with smiles. My granddaughter Ella Cate loves to draw, so this was the perfect set-up for us. We spent time together drawing dogs and cats and chatting about school. I loved sitting with her and sharing this special time.

At a gathering with children, I’m reminded of the many lives being formed and influenced by adults. I can’t help but wonder what they see and hear. As a child, I wanted to be like my second-grade teacher, Miss Mercer. I only had her for six weeks of second grade because we moved into her school district late in the year. She was a gentle, kind teacher who took extra time to catch me up on phonics. I loved and admired her and still remember her sweet personality.

As a believer and follower of Jesus, I’m aware of the traits God wants me to show others. I am particularly alert to how I influence children. I don’t always get it right, but I try to be a good example to my grandkids, the children I help in my daughter’s class once a week, and any other kids I am fortunate enough to interact with. I’m not just talking about the little ones, I’m talking teens and tweens, too.

As adults, we have a responsibility to show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience to the kids who depend on us to teach them well. When children see love in action, they are more likely to show it too.

Jesus loved the children. He talked with them and showed them love. Let’s do the same.

Where Is My Faith

Luke 8:22-24
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

Rain pounded the canvas top of the Jeep.

I traveled down Interstate 75 to visit my daughter in Kentucky. When I left home a gray sky hovered overhead. The lack of sunshine made the drive easier for me because bright sun hurts my eyes, and I knew I’d be on the road for a while. About halfway through the trip, the skies opened and the rain poured. Torrential rain on the interstate with semis scares me, but instead of panicking, I put the Jeep in four-wheel drive and slowed my speed.

The rain poured for about twenty minutes. As I maneuvered the Jeep through the rain, Star 93.3 played three songs that calmed me. I Am Not Alone by Kari Jobe, Praise You in This Storm, and Brighter Days by Blessing Offor made me want to raise my hands in praise, but I didn’t dare take my hands off the wheel.

Isn’t it just like Jesus to provide comfort and hope in the midst of the storm? He’d invited his disciples to the boat and then fell asleep. He may have known the storm was coming, but He also knew God had His back. When the disciples panicked, what did He say? “Where is your faith?”

I had to ask myself that question as I drove through the storm. I have to ask myself that question when I walk through the valley, the sunshine, or the fog. My faith is in Jesus who loves me, but at times I forget and try to take control, or panic, or run from Him. Yet every time He draws me back to Him, and I thank Him.

I thank God for his peace, His understanding of me and my fears, and I praise Him for his plan of salvation that secures my faith. I am not alone, I can praise Him in the storms, and I know there will be brighter days because I have faith in the One who loves me more than I understand.

Have faith in the One who loves you.

See the Need

Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

I love the song by For King and Country called Relate. They asked the question of how we relate to a variety of people, and that we all experience heartache and joy even if it is in different ways.

When I worked at the college library, I met a lot of people who were different than me. Yet we all had many things in common. We all experienced heartache, joy, anxiety, stress, love, hope, and the list could go on. Our lives were varied, yet we could relate to one another in some way.

I remember a student who visited the library daily. He saw the world through a different lens than most of us. He didn't like his routine to be interrupted, and he wanted to sit at the same computer and stay on the track he created for himself. Fortunately for me, I got to know him and found he cared about life as much as I did. He may not have functioned the same as me, but he had similar feelings, dreams, and experiences.

In Philippians, Paul has written a letter to the church in Philippi. He is simply asking them to see each other through God's eyes as valuable contributors to the Kingdom of God. As a believer, I know God has called me to love others, to see souls, and to encourage where I can no matter who God places in my path. He asks me to be humble and place others burdens before mine. In our busy world, it's not easy to stay focused on the needs of others, but God wants me to cherish others and seek to help in any way I can.

Look beyond the outside of people, see them with God's eyes.

Waffles or French Toast

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

Tim and I stopped in for breakfast at a little diner near our home. The menu tempted me with so many choices. When a waitress stopped by our table, we both ordered coffee, then waited for her to return. With coffee in our cups, we placed our orders. "I would like to try the waffle with blueberries and a scrambled egg." I don't often ask for waffles, but I thought I'd give it a try, and with blueberries how could I go wrong. She came back to the table, head hanging, and told me, "We are out of the mix. I'm so sorry, what else would you like? We have French toast with blueberries."

I smiled and ordered the French toast. As we waited on our order, we sipped our coffee, and talked about the Reds, the book I'm working on, and what we planned for the rest of the day. Not long after, the waitress placed a plate of French toast and blueberries in front of me that looked heavenly. Again, she apologized, but I stopped her. "I love French toast and blueberries. I was getting the waffle just to try something different." She sighed with relief and hurried to the next table.

The waitress didn't know me, yet she wanted me to enjoy my breakfast. She had no idea French toast reminds me of my dad, who made it for us on Saturday mornings. Even though, she didn't know me, she was kind and wanted the best for me.

What if I passed along her caring attitude and her desire to make my day better? That's called kindness, folks. Simply caring for the people around me and considering their needs ahead of my own, both those I know and those I don't. Did I mention, she was the only one working the floor, clearing the tables, and taking orders? Yet she wore a smile and spread kindness all over the room.

Paul penned in his letter to the Ephesian church a segment about Christian living. One of the things he mentioned at the end, and I believe he did that to emphasize the point, was to be compassionate and kind to each other. As believers and followers of Jesus I want to show kindness to others, not simply because Paul said so, but because the act of caring creates a better environment for everyone and shares the love of Jesus.

Join me in finding ways to be kinder and more caring.

Most of All be Kind

Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Glitter, sparkle, shine, but most of all be kind.

When my kids were growing up, our home was kind of messy. We crafted, drew, glued, and sewed. If the girls had a school project with friends, our house was often the one where they made dioramas, science projects, and book reports. On Valentine's Day and Christmas the cards required as much glitter as they would hold. Little hands scattered the shiny sparkles over white glue and made a fine mess. Sort of like the sprinkles we shook over Christmas cookies. When I attempted to vacuum the tiny, sparkly pieces, I inevitably left some behind. It seemed like I'd find glitter for months, after a project.

What would the world look like if we sprinkled kindness and compassion like glitter? So much so, that the kindness stuck around and was difficult to remove. In the third chapter of Colossians, Paul addresses the church. A place where kindness and compassion should indeed be present. Yet, he had to remind the very people who said they loved Jesus to be kind. I imagine if Paul lived today, he would preach his message in homes, workplaces, at sporting events, and in public spaces.

In a world where we can be anything, shouldn't we be kind? Considerate? Thoughtful? And shouldn't those traits be so ingrained we don't have to think about them. I know sometimes I don't feel kind, I get grumpy like everyone else, but Jesus calls me to have compassion, so I need to work on that daily.

Jesus loves people. When he walked the earth, he showed kindness. Even when he rebuked or corrected someone, he did it with love.

Sprinkle kindness like glitter, so it sticks around. 

Celebrating Christmas~Joseph

Matthew 1:19-21, 24-25
Because Joseph her [Mary] husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph trusted the Lord.

As a child, I heard the story of Jesus' birth. We learned of the trek to Bethlehem, angels singing, shepherds visiting, and of course Mary giving birth to the baby Jesus. I imagined the animals surrounding the manger, the sheep baaing and cows mooing. But I didn't give much thought to Joseph. In the story, he knocks on the inn keeper's door and he leads Mary to the stable. I knew he was present, yet he disappeared into the background.

What I've learned since:

Joseph was kind, compassionate, and faithful to God. He truly loved Mary. I'm not surprised by any of this. In God's plan to bring Jesus into the world, he chose two people who adored and trusted Him. Joseph and Mary's engagement, as binding as marriage is today, could only be broken by divorce. Rather than expose Mary as pregnant before wedlock, Joseph planned to quietly divorce her and set her free. Otherwise, she could have been stoned to death for adultery.

Thank goodness the angel gave Joseph the low down on God's plan. On hearing the angel's words, he could have run the other way. Joseph could have laughed in the angel's face. Instead, he chose to trust God's plan. His faith overcame his fear.

This year the holidays don't seem the same. Some traditions may not happen. Gatherings may look different. Illness may hamper plans. The sadness and stress of 2020 may drag us down. Yet as we celebrate Jesus' birth, let's delight in the Lord with faith like Joseph. He tossed his fears aside and trusted in God. If Joseph could do that in his circumstance, surely we can too.

I pray as we head into the Christmas season, we consider Joseph's faith and his trust in God.

Click to tweet: Faith like Joseph 

Consider Love

Romans 12: 9-10
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

In this time of topsy-turvy living, we need more love.

Most of us are ready to say goodbye to 2020. The year brought a lot of grief, pain, and suffering. People have turned against each other in disagreement, or just been frustrated with each other. We all have opinions. That's okay until our opinions become more important than people. Consider kindness. Speak with compassion.

God calls us to love, not just those who are easy to love, but all people. I need to pour love over each person as in turn Jesus pours love over me. Instead of anger—love. Instead of hate—love. Instead of frustration—love.

Jesus tells his disciples, in John 13, to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” He knew when he went to heaven he needed to leave his followers with a direct command. Those words are for me, too. Jesus wants me to love others and show love by listening, offering compassion, meeting needs, and sharing Jesus. Loving people is hard sometimes—I struggle just like everyone else. But God offers a tool box with two important tools, the Bible and prayer. Through his words and the Holy Spirit's guidance, I want to spread more of his love and compassion.

Before you speak or post on social media consider whether there is love in your words.

We are our words.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

We Need More

Voices of kindness, listening for compassion, generous charity, 

minds for truth, and hearts of love...

More of these...

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My Response

Colossians 3:12-15
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

My first response was anger.

I'm not usually an angry person. I prefer to live a peaceful life. But when someone hurts the people I love, I get mad. Sometimes, rightfully so.

But I've learned the anger that fills me, also drains me.

More than once, I've had to tamper down my gut reaction and replace my ire with calm. Instead of agitation, I ask God to bring peace.

During the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, I tend to contemplate what the new year will bring. This week I'm not considering what's going to happen, but how I will respond. You see, I may not like what someone says to me or circumstances that come my way. I may not be able to change what happens. But, I can change my response.

If I truly let Jesus rule my heart, I'll also let him guide my emotions and my reactions. 

"God, fill me with compassion, kindness and peace."

If there is someone you need to forgive, make the new year a clean slate and offer forgiveness. If someone made you angry, go to them and resolve the issues. If someone broke your heart. Consider your response with prayer.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28

Kindness in the New Year

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

It's that time of year when the excitement of Christmas is rolled up and put away. I have mixed feeling about the week after Christmas. Being off work with a few days to do whatever I want makes me happy. But my heart breaks a little that Christmas is over. Although it took months to prepare for, I love this time of year. In the next week or so, I'll pack away the Christmas tree and decorations. The stores will pull out their Valentine items and maybe even Easter. I'll go back to work and life will be "normal" again.

Even though much of the holidays will be tucked away. I hope a few things continue. Christmas time brings out the kindness and thoughtfulness in people. Dare I say the magic of Christmas sprinkles over people and makes them more aware of helping others, perhaps. But I truly believe people recognize the reason for the season. No one on this earth showed kindness the way Jesus did. He healed the hurting, gave to the needy, and shared with his friends and family. Jesus showed more compassion than anyone. So much so, he gave his life for sinners like me. Whether we want to believe this or not, Christmas draws attention to the kind of man Jesus lived as. He gave kindness and compassion, forgiveness, and hope. So no, kindness and compassion don't grow from magic. Instead they spread because of Jesus. So while we put away Christmas, let's keep the spirit of kindness out and pour it over the people around us. In 2018, share kindness and compassion as part of the everyday. Love God, love people.

What Am I Wearing Today?

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Working at a public college, I see all kinds of people. Every day I cross paths with folks I don't know; young people just starting their adult lives, weary parents taking classes and working, veterans of the military and veterans of life. I receive many smiles, but I also see sadness and a lot of stress. As I walk my path I'm reminded that everyone of these people has a story.

I read a quote recently that went something like this, If we could look into everyone's eyes, we'd see that each person is wrestling with a challenge. Everyone has their own experience with life and may be facing a battle this very day. I love Paul's reminder to the Colossians and to me. As I get dressed every morning I want to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Sometimes I'm the one in the battle, but even so, I still need to gather these weapons of beauty and make the day better for those I meet. It's a challenge, but with the Holy Spirit's help, it can be done. Will you help me spread kindness? Praise God for the  loving and caring spirits who've ministered to me.