Can an Act of Kindness Change How You Feel?
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ‘” — Jeremiah 29:11
My husband was dreading his participation as a guest panelist for the Salvation Army, a major nonprofit organization that was seeking advice on donor relations. He wasn’t afraid of the event, but about getting there. Five days earlier, during our normal stretching routine, we tried to emulate our youthful yoga class instructor’s ability to bend like a pretzel. My husband smirked. “I’m forgetting the fact that at my age, the pretzel is stiff, stale and tends to break, not bend.” He wasn’t sure if he’d pulled a leg muscle or had aggravated his sciatica nerve, which rendered the simplest sitting position very painful, with darts shooting up and down his leg.
The previous night he’d attended a charity award event with a twenty-minute drive to the venue, causing excruciating discomfort. I worried about him surviving the journey to upstate New York. After the dinner, the award ceremony began. He had to leave the table and stand to relieve the pain. The master of ceremonies regaled us with stories of the homeless, hungry, and forgotten blessed and cared for by the volunteers in the room. Each example was humbling, heartwarming and inspiring. Before the first set of awards was announced, he returned to the table.
Miraculously, his leg pain had dissipated. Was it standing or the warmth of love in the room? Have you ever been overwhelmed by a wave of Love from strangers? Can seeing the good in life, the outpouring of ordinary people making a difference change how you feel?
It reminded me of a 5:30am flight I’d often take from NY to DC for work. At 5:30am either you read, slept, or prepared for your meeting. An older woman boarded last and had some trouble getting to her seat and stowing her bag. I was sitting 2 rows behind her. A man offered to put her bag up and she gratefully accepted. When we landed, everyone was in a rush to get off. Grabbing bags, putting on coats, people huffed and waited for the people to move. The man who helped the woman graciously spoke to her with a calm, non hurried voice. “Take your time. I’ll get your bag.” It was like fairy dust sprinkled on everyone. After he helped her, instead of the stampede, each person said, “No, after you.” It was a small thing. But I know how it affected me that day. Can a simple act of kindness inspire us to pay it forward?
As for my husband, he had a pain-free ride up and back to the panel presentation, which again was an abundance of giving volunteers opening their hearts to those less fortunate. He was excited about the possibilities to spread good works to those in need.
Does kindness, acts of giving, love, begat the same? Do we hear our hearts as the Lord whispers to do such? To love our neighbor as our self. The early morning flight happened 7 years ago, I still remember it. Perhaps the plans He has for us includes what others show us and helps us to the right path.
We can never underestimate that one person can make a difference.
