The world in which we live is quite unstable as we all know.  Throughout history, there have been better times and times that were terrible. Wars, natural disasters, political and civil unrest, socioeconomic disparity, and the list goes on. We are living in a time described by the words of Charles Dickins in The Tale of Two Cities…”It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” which was followed by many examples of both.

We all know these things are going on around us. We certainly aren’t able to change the fact that they exist, but we can control how we respond to these occurrences by our own choices and actions.

As the world fights to figure everything out, we can be holding doors for strangers, letting people cut in front of us in traffic, saying good morning, keeping babies entertained in grocery lines, stopping to talk to someone who is lonely, tipping generously, waving at police, sharing food, giving children a thumbs-up, being patient with clerks, smiling at a passerby, and buying a stranger a cup of coffee. WHY?  I don’t want to live in such a negative world where love sometimes seems to be invisible. Let’s join together in showing kindness and understanding and loving each other. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to be kind to a stranger, give grace to a friend who is having a bad day and be forgiving with yourself and others. We can’t change the world, but we can make our own little part we live in more pleasant for ourselves and others.

We can find these simple, yet powerful words of what God expects from us in Colossians 3:12. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,  kindness, humility, meekness and patience.

These words represent just a fraction of the unconditional love God shows us every day.  Certainly, we can take on some of these qualities ourselves and share them with others to make this world a kinder place.  If you can’t find the kindness, be the kindness. Thanks be to God.

Patty