I try to provide examples of being kind and sharing the love of Christ to others to my children everyday. Things such as offering the cashier at the store prayer, buying the milk for the lady in line in front of us, paying for the coffee of the person behind us in line at the drive through, and more speak volumes to them when they see the responses from the receivers.
We have also been blessed to be on the other side of kindnesses. Oh how it fascinates the children when someone compliments us, someone shares something with us, and especially when someone randomly buys our dinner!
I try to stress to the children that it is not the size of the kindness that matters - it is the little things that may make someone's day. This is where our garbage man comes in. Twice a week, that man drives down our street doing a job that many of us would dread in weather conditions that range from wet and rainy to one hundred degree heat with high humidity. And every time he does, he takes the time to be kind and make someone's day.
In his big green truck, he pulls up, waves, and beeps twice in a row. This results in a big smile and feverish wave from the one year old that is twenty feet away watching the truck intently. After the other man loads all our trash into the truck, both workers usually wave again and the driver beeps two more times. Oh what fun! This elicits even more smiles, faster waves from the one year old, and the yelling of the word "hi!" repeatedly.
It doesn't take much, but this man makes my little guy's day twice a week. Nehemiah now waves at every garbage "tuck" we pass like they are old friends, consumes books with pictures of them, and sings songs featuring their skills.
Four beeps. Imagine if we all just did a little kindness in what we did every day.
"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
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| One happy boy on garbage day. |
