Be Kind to One Another by Amanda Elder Silvers

It's been said that "It's a cruel, cruel world".  The older I get the more I find myself agreeing with this statement.  We seem to live in such a fast-paced society that I feel the "human" element of life often times gets lost in the hustle and bustle of each quickly moving day.  As a mother it seems that every moment of my day is planned before my feet even have a chance to hit the floor.  It's difficult to take time for the things we enjoy- a quiet cup of coffee, a moment in a favorite rocking chair, or a visit with our neighbor- when we seem to be on the go from sun up to sun down.  We live in a day of instant communication- text messaging, social networking, e-mails, etc.  Our generation is learning that instant gratification is not only possible, but very much expected.  We drive through a McDonald's and if we have to wait any longer than about 3 minutes for our meal of processed meat and greasy french fries we fall all too pieces.  Our days seem to be spent watching the proverbial clock.

In the rush of life, somewhere along the way, I think some people have forgotten the importance of nurturing our personal relationships.  We work at our jobs.  We work on our houses.  We work on our cars.  We work on growing our bank accounts.  We need to remind ourselves that our relationships with others require work as well.  The Bible is full of verses instructing us to be kind to those we know and even those we do not.

Eph. 4:32    
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Gal. 6:10
"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

As Christians it is imperative for us to remember that each of us were created equally and in His (God's) own image.  He didn't make any of us any more special or perfect than the other.  He loves each of us just the same.  I remember a few years ago a phrase was sweeping our country.  Everywhere you turned, it seemed, someone was talking about "paying it forward".  I loved this movement in our country.  The premise was that if everyone would practice even just ONE act of random kindness and then the person receiving the kind act would then "pay it forward" to someone else.... well, then we would literally be caught in a avalanche of kindness.  What a wonderful thought!  I read accounts of acts as simple as paying for the meal of the person at the drive through window behind you to major acts of kindness which went above and beyond anything one would expect.  The point of the exercise is that if we get used to treating others kindly and in turn being treated kindly ourselves we can move mountains.  I'd encourage each of you to put this exercise to the test today.  It doesn't have to be anything monumental.  It doesn't have to cost anything.  You can take a piece of paper and slide a note to someone telling them how much you love and appreciate them.

Today let's start showing kindness to its full capacity.  Let's think before we speak.  Let's love instead of judge.  I wish each of you a blessed day and weekend.