Try Just a LITTLE Kindness

An interesting thing happened to me quite by chance that I want to share with you.

I was outside at lunchtime minding my own business (which is when things invariably happen) when I saw someone waking in front of me lose a few papers that he had tucked under his arm. As I reached for them before the wind blew them away, I called out "Sir," and he saw me making a final, and fortunately successful, lungefor the last page before it wound up in the street.

He looked at me and was stunned--absolutely stunned.

I have no idea if the papers were important or not, but it didn't really matter. It's not exactly like I ran into a burning building to retreive them.

You wouldn't have known it from the look and gratitude the gentleman showed to me. He even offered to buy me lunch, which I politely declined.

A lady who had stopped at a street vendor had noticed this and said to me as I walked by "we need more people like you." I can quickly gather a group of people who know me that would rebut that view, but it was still nice to hear.

I don't share this with you to lobby for a Nobel Peace Prize (although if you are so moved, I would humbly accept your nomination) but to make the point that struck me later on today.....people are STARVED for kindness. The least little thing stands out from the normal indifference of people around us in our everyday lives.

What if all of us picked up the papers that someone else dropped in front of us, or held the elevator door even when we're in a hurry, or gave up our seat on the train?

What if kindness was the norm instead of the exception that drew such attention to me today?

Will that gentleman remember me telling him "God put us on earth to do good things'?

I don't know, but I believe that God can use little things to really make an impact on someone's life.

Like picking up papers that someone has dropped.