That’s How You Change the World
By MBPSTB
Wednesday, 20 July, 2016
2ndD,5thM
“Always be kind to people, you never know what sorrows they are carrying.”
That was a quote from a book I recently read in my book club. It was profound and it re-emphasized a similar message I was given while in attendance of a Senior NCO Preparatory class while serving in the Air Force Reserve back in 1990. It was something that stuck with me from then, but since out of the work place I think YHWH needed to re-enforce it or call it to remembrance and to do so as a message to all of us who seek to please our Living God and to walk as much like Jesus as we can in this imperfect world.
Last week I got a new cell phone and the experience was just as unpleasant as shopping for a car. My old phone had a personalized ring tone which my youngest son recorded his voice years ago and it was the ringtone for our home phone. The salesman said he could not port it over. Not giving up, we made a trip back to the store yesterday and another young man was there and he was so pleasant, a direct contrast to our last sales rep. While he couldn’t transfer the file digitally, he did go in the back and record it face to face, one phone to the other and while the sound degraded some, it was good enough. My husband had told him that he would buy him dinner if he could make this happen. Now, while that might have given him further incentive, we all know when people say things like this, it’s usually just talk, right?
Well, later that afternoon I was able to purchase a Visa gift card while grocery shopping. After I got home to put the groceries away, I wrote a short note, sticking it to the card and placed it in a sealed envelope, writing the young man’s name on the front. I expected he might not be there when I arrived at the store, but he was outside taking a break. I gave him the envelope and he was shocked, he said “oh, you really didn’t have to do that.” I told him “my husband is a man of his word”. He said “thank you” I said “no----THANK YOU”. I then got in my car and left. He waved in amazement as I drove off. Our son is now 18 and his little boy voice is long gone and that ringtone was the only thing left. Yes, we have pictures but there is something about your child’s voice when young, well, it is so precious as any parent would agree.
So….that’s not the end of this story. I haven’t played my radio or listened to a CD in many months, but as I left that store, I popped out the CD to see which one it was and of course when it went back in it automatically turned on and began to play.
It was The Newsboys “Restart” CD and here were the first words of the first song I heard:
“That’s how you change the world……” Well, that made a connection right away.
In recent weeks that have turned into months, there has been an increasing level of hate, anger and division among people across the land and all over the globe. There have been attacks, killings and arguing and debating and just plain ugliness in people everywhere. Any good servant of God knows what they must do in the face of all these things. They must be in prayer daily to Abba Father, for His messengers and servants to reach out and do the things of which He would be pleased. To help spread some love and kindness in an ever increasing hurting world.
So, here’s the second part to this message:
Later, that evening as I was getting ready for bed, I heard something on the Christian radio station I have on all the time, here it is:
A man called in to recount what had happened to him while at a gas station filling up. He walked in to pay and the lady in front of him was screaming at the cashier and arguing with here. Apparently her credit card had been denied. As she turned around and walked past him, the man smiled at her and that just caused her to let loose on him and she then stormed out of the store.
The man asked the cashier “What pump was she on?” The cashier told him pump 5.
The man said “I’d like to pay some for her gas, can you put $20 on her pump?” The cashier then asked him “Why would you want to do that after how she behaved to you?” (Well, to be honest, I can’t recall exactly what his answer was at that point) but the man behind him said “How about I help? Maybe we can both go in and pay for her to have a full tank?” So they did, then both walked out and approached her and told her to fill up her car. She then proceeded to break down into tears and told them thank you, then explained that she had just got a new job and didn’t have any money and she needed to have a full tank for gas for the week so she could get to her new job.
“Always be kind to people, you never know what sorrows they are carrying.”
I think there’s an incredibly huge message here and it’s one all of us who walk in love for our Heavenly Father should be heeding. We need to walk the walk of love, not just talk the talk. Random acts of kindness could be the tipping point in someone’s life which makes a difference.
This is a call to action for all of us to perhaps do at least one act of kindness each week. Imagine the difference we might make in the battle of good against evil.
While we who are in Christ Jesus know the ways of the enemy, those who still don’t know Him, do not. Even many of our own brethren can lose focus on Him when the waters of life get rough.
Replies