That meant Cathy needed to see her hairdresser before the
trip. I don’t need to explain. Ladies, you all understand and men don’t get it
and don’t care. Anyway, as she arrived
for her appointment her hairdresser was just finishing with another
customer. As the customer was paying the
hairdresser Cathy immediately recognized her first grade classmate. Although they had not seen one another in
over 50 years, she approached Cathy and gently placed her hand on her shoulder saying,
“You have been a blessing to me!” Cathy tried to jog her memory to remember why
she would have been a blessing to someone over so many years. Heck, I’m impressed that she remembered the
name of a classmate from 1st grade.
I need name tags for people I saw last week…or sometimes yesterday…or
earlier today. Anyway, the woman looked
Cathy in the eye and said, “I was chubby
in those days and you were always kind to me.” Elementary school can be cruel for those who
are easy targets for name calling and bullying.
Cathy’s kind behavior, at age 6, was remembered as a life-long blessing
to this lady.
When she came home and told me of this encounter I thought, “WOW, what a great testimony of how a small
act of kindness can go a long way!” Cathy
has the Spiritual gift of mercy and helps.
She was already a believer at age 6 and was practicing her gifts of the
Spirit. God seems to draw her attention
to those who need a touch of mercy, kindness or help. She goes out of her way to be kind and show
attention to those who are often overlooked and bypassed by most as we hurry
about our lives. In our often unnecessary
and self-created frenzy we fail to notice and show human kindness to the one
who takes our order in a restaurant, the boy who bags our groceries or the
custodian quietly doing their work. She notices those who seem forgotten and may
need an encouraging word. Even those,
like me, who have different gifts can learn and practice more kindness by
watching the kind and compassionate acts of others. I know because I have been watching what she
has been doing for some 40 years.
As we made the journey and arrived at the birthday celebration
we were blessed to see so many special friends.
Most of whom we had not seen in over 30 years but we picked up exactly
where we left off. It was a joy to see
so many who accepted a young fledgling minister and loved him as one of their
own family. That is what church and
Christian’s are supposed to do. We are
to ‘love our neighbor (fellowman) as we
love ourselves.’ We are to love one
another no matter what ethnic, economic or educational group that may define any
of us. I must admit that there were some
who were not thrilled with my time there as their pastor. There are always those whose favorite pastor
is the last one or the next one. However,
it was gratifying as people came and expressed how much we meant to them while
we were there. Treating people the way
that Jesus treats us is never forgotten.
I learned early and continue to learn from the Parable of
the Sower or Soils (either name is correct). This was one of the favorite parables of
Jesus. He repeated it in 3 of the 4
Gospels. The same sower sows the same
seed on four different soils. Among many
other truths I learned from the parable, I understood that I am to treat
everyone the same way. I also realized that
everyone will not have the same response.
Three of the four different soils had a negative response to the same
seed from the same sower. There are some,
like the unproductive soils, who are clinging to too much baggage, too much
hardness or too many other interests in their lives to be kind, positive and
productive. Everyone will not respond in
kindness but if you treat everyone with the same love and compassion you will
be blessed by the response of those who are ‘the
good soil’. They make it all worth
the effort.
I will close with one more example of how we need to watch
how we treat others because others are already watching us. Cathy was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis
early in our marriage. It is an
incurable chronic digestive disorder. There
are not many medical tests or exams that are enjoyable but, as you can imagine,
the tests required to discover such a disease are not pleasant. We had been in the hospital for several days
and were both weary. I was trying to be
the dutiful compassionate new husband sleeping in the recliner but she was the
one enduring the difficult series of tests.
The sun was rising as the oncologist entered her hospital room. It seemed that he was making his morning
rounds earlier than normal. We were just
waking from another restless night. He
was gazing at her file in his hand as he asked, “How are we this morning?” Cathy
did not respond, as would most, telling the doctor of her ailments and restless
night. She surprised him with, “I’m OK.
How are you? You look tired!” Stunned, he paused and looked up saying, “Thank you for asking. I am tired. It was a long night. I lost one of my patients last night.” Not many people ask or really care how
their doctor is doing when they are sick and hospitalized. However Cathy took her attention away from
herself and noticed that her doctor seemed tired. She looked past her discomfort and saw a man
grieving the death of one he had cared for and tried to heal. The doctor now needed care and a healing
touch. He got it from one who took the
time to notice and share the compassion of Christ. I sat in up in the recliner in the corner of
the room as I, the young minister, watched and learned how we should always
look to serve others even as we are being served. We need watch how we treat everyone…others
already are watching.
Today, as you go about your daily activities slow down and
notice the people around you. Look at
those who are often overlooked. Even if
it takes you out of your normal routine try to show kindness, and compassion
reflecting the love of Christ to everyone you come across. You never know how much they may need it or
how it may impact them. Kindness to a ‘chubby girl’ in the 1st
grade over 50 years ago was remembered as a lifetime blessing.
We need watch how we treat everyone…others already are
watching.
