Kindness....

Yesterday was quite a day. Ironically I supplied the owner of a (now closed) nursery with  a Basil plant, he gave me some “droë wors” as a thank you, ironic again as I don’t like droë wors,  but it was in a nice packet with guinea fowl feathers on, which I really like. Then i went to the shops for my mom-in-law and an elderly neighbour, who in turn gave me a 18 year old bottle of canned peaches. Handpicked. With rust on top. At the shops i was passing through a narrow bit and a man was coming down the same aisle and he side stepped and let me pass. I was impressed. Chivalry is not dead, i thought. But alas i remembered it was corona time and as per instruction we give each other a wide berth. He did look weird and worried at me when i said Thank you as i passed him. A very Ironic Day.

I have this tiny reward card and at the pay point i fished it out and the lady took it. She was wearing gloves and held this little rectangle by the edges. Swiping it through she promptly gave it back to me - minimizing the contamination period, i guess, but it fell and lay on the counter. Both of us just stared at it for an uncomfortable nano second. I bravely picked it up to spare her any more stress, it was bad enough wearing gloves and a mask, sitting behind a plastic anti-spit and cough screen and then having to pick up a very dangerous piece of plastic. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Kindness in a different form.

And it got me thinking about this thing called Kindness. I didn’t need a thank you for the plant, but he brought it anyway. I didn’t need a bottle of canned peaches but my neighbour was just being kind. The man in the aisle could have bustled pass me forcing me to stop but he didn’t. Kindness goes a long way. One kind act leads to another.
I really value Kindness. It says more than enough to me about your character. If i can be kind to someone who in that moment might not be worthy of kindness it might just change their whole day. If i can show kindness i rise above my own selfish ways. Its listed among the fruits of the Spirit for a reason. Right there along with Patience and Self control. We need to practice and grow it!

Jesus was many things but in this day His Kindness stands out to me. Healing the lepers, the blind beggars, raising the widow’s son, seeing the down and out. Giving His very Life. He was the Perfect Kind person in my eyes and i love Him all the more for it. In these uncertain times if we could just be kindhearted to each other as He was.

Bella