The temperature here has been over 100 degrees for many days.
A very old cat recently found a relatively cool spot near my door behind a bush.
One day, I opened the door to check my mail and I startled the poor old feline.
It stood up, arched its back and hissed at me in a very menacing way.
To be honest, I was more than a bit startled myself.
But rather than chase the animal away, I spoke to it in a soothing voice.
This ritual repeated itself day after day.
I would open the door and, as expected, the cat would bare its teeth and hiss at me.
I continued speaking to it in a soothing voice.
Days later, my small act of kindness was rewarded.
Now, the old cat looks at me and just goes back to sleep.
Scripture reminds us to be kind… to others.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NET) - You must put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and slanderous talk—indeed all malice. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.
We are also to be kind to those less fortunate than ourselves,
Proverbs 14:31 (NET) - The one who oppresses the poor has insulted his Creator, but whoever honors him shows favor to the needy.
Christ stressed this point as well.
Matthew 25:40 (NET) - And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
If you think about it, it really costs nothing to be kind.
The more you practice kindness, the easier it becomes.
Even being kind to the smallest of God’s creation becomes part of our character.
The world in which we now live needs kindness, perhaps now more than ever.
Many are frightened by violence and the pandemic.
Many have lost loved ones.
So, be kind.
The seeds we choose to plant today will bear fruit tomorrow.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on
Friday, August 21, 2020.
I’ll be back here on Friday, August
28, 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment