At the end of last week, on an otherwise unpreposessing Friday, I heard my phone ringing to find a wholly unexpected call from one of Markus' teachers. If you know me at all, you know that my boys are some of my very favorite's in the world. Even better than chocolate. (Heresy, I know)
My morning immediately took a turn for the better, and I spent the rest of the day musing over the perks of an unexpected kindness. There’s something wonderfully validating about finding yourself in a conversation about catching your son in an act of kindness, for no reason other than that they care about them.
A few hours or so ago, a different boy, while running down from the team hike we were on, sprained his ankle as he took a mis-step. The fact the boys took turns carrying their teammate down the mountain was great, but the fact of the act was better: I felt, all unsought, compassion and kindness.
I think God is particularly good at these kindnesses, the blessings we run up against when we think we’ve run aground, the unexpected fire of a sunset on the way to take the trash out that stops our breath.
Or the moon last night...These moments of gratuitous beauty: sometimes nature, but sometimes also unexpected kindnesses that still make the world a little more lovely.
It’s easy (especially now that school has started) to get caught up in the rush of day-to-day life. But here's hope to make a better effort at spreading acts of kindness.
What random acts of kindness have you experienced recently?
