Random Acts of Kindness

There are days that we wonder if we belong on this planet because the events of the day are disturbing and alarming. We wonder if our fellow man is really our fellow man or some aliens that have invaded in the last 24 hours. It reminds us of the words in that old song, "Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you, If heavens not my home then Lord what will I do."

And then, there are days we treasure because we see those Random Acts Of Kindness that make you believe God is among us and that the givers of this world are overwhelming the takers. These acts are spontaneous love poured out like the greatest nectar of unselfish grace, which reminds us that God has extended his territory to a heaven on earth.

Over the past few weeks I have seen people whom society has given up on do some incredibly good things to help their fellow man. It motivates me to be a better man, even when all the better has been used up for that particular day. Yesterday though may have been the best. In order to bring it to life for you I have to be transparent with some of the raw details.

A young African American man who, by his own words, says he is recovering from addiction and a homosexual lifestyle, answered a question I posed to the group with a total breakdown of emotions, which led him to talk about the more than difficult relationship with his father. His tears led to more opening up which I cannot share, but an amazing thing happened while he was talking. A white woman, with not a whole lot of clean time walked over to him and hugged him while he shook from the emotion of it all and as he finished talking through it, she held on until he was done.

To me this was so kind and compassionate, but the best was yet to come. Later, after the meeting, I spoke with him, and he said that was the first time a woman had held him showing him that kind of unconditional love since he came out of that lifestyle, and it was literally life changing for him. The rest of the details are so very complicated and would take us off point, but lets just say, this young man was highly affected by this act while he was hurting the most. Getting it all out for him was a cleansing of his spirit. 

I drove away with near tears in my eyes just praising the Lord for showing up in such an incredible way. But, on the other hand, it doesn't surprise me because Jesus hung out with many hurting people and his compassion helped change their lives. He is just using us in the same way if we give him the opportunity to do so. He demonstrated it, Paul took it to heart:

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
                                                                               1 Corinthians 9:22

I am taking "all things" to mean that sometimes we have to get down and dirty, right where people are at, even if it makes us feel uncomfortable, to display Random Acts Of Kindness. We do it for Him, we do it for them, and then it changes us compl