I Hope You Share Kindness

 

I consider May to be the beginning of spring. April is wet and gloomy, and no matter how green the grass gets, it's always covered in at least half a foot of mud - wet mud. But April showers bring May flowers, and that is why I like May the best out of every month. Pink buds are starting to peek out of the old, winter-worn tree branches. The weather begins to grace us with blue skies and warm, sunny days. Spring is one of those times when everything seems possible, when spirits are high, and, it seems to me, gives people a feeling of adventure, of unity, and of kindness. As Meg Ryan says as Catherine Boyd in IQ, "Everything goes through upheaval in the spring, don't you think?"

I do.

Because spring represents to us new beginnings and new arrivals, it is the season of hope. And one of the best ways to spread hope, in my opinion, is to share random acts of kindness. It shows people that you care about them, that you want to help them, and that not all strangers are the same kind you have to avoid on the street. (Disclaimer: some are, so stay smart and stay safe...)

According to Wikipedia,  a random act of kindness is "a selfless act performed by a person or a group wishing to either assist or to cheer up a person by being kind, thoughtful, polite, giving out compliments, volunteering, or forgiving someone." They are deliberate attempts to bring true happiness to a culture that is starving for it. Kindness shows others that they count.

Originally associated with Anne Herbert, who is said to have once written "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a place mat in a restaurant, this concept has become an organized celebration through various events around the world, as well as referring to a general call to action in the name of kindness. I think that it is a great idea, and a Biblical one as well. Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Luke 6:35 says, "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil." That is not to say that if you act kind you will be granted access to Heaven - our actions have nothing to do with our initial salvation. That's all about believing in Christ's sacrifice and admitting your own sinfulness. However, after that step has been taken, God commands that his children be kind to everyone.

When you are kind randomly and don't expect anything in return, you will be noticed. It's like a ray of sunshine in a dark, murky pond. And because of this, random acts of kindness are a great way to "be a light for Christ"; to show others that we are different in a positive way. No one will think badly of you except maybe to say that you are "too nice", and honestly, what kind of insult is that? 

Being kind should mainly be for others. That should be why we do random acts of kindness: to honor God by loving on other people. However, sometimes, kindness can be abused.

For example: once upon a time there was a guy and a girl in a Baptist youth group. The guy was trying to impress the girl by being nice to her - getting her drink, lending her his jacket, that kind of thing. When this failed, he realized - being reasonably intelligent for a teenage guy - that she would probably notice him more if he exaggerated his "niceness" and "Christian-ness" to others around him. So he started faking it with everyone else: helping old ladies across the street, turning his house into a homeless shelter, wheeling disabled children into the church building. Finally, thinking that he was "such a sweet guy", the girl took notice of him and they got together and lived happily ever after.

Now, obviously, that isn't a true story. But that is sometimes how people think kindness is, when in reality, they are just being kind to get what they want. That is a selfish attitude and, I think, it destroys any positivity from the act itself. True kindness stems from selflessness and humility in an individual. That guy wasn't "sweet" because he was essentially being dishonest. While it was a nice thought, the action was not done with the right motives, and motivation is key. 

But being kind with a pure heart, expecting nothing in return, can bring one of the keenest senses of happiness. There is a joy that comes in knowing you have helped someone. Even in the darkest of circumstances, small acts of kindness can bring a ray of much-needed hope to a despairing group of people. This is miraculous, it is beautiful, and it is something that can only come from one with the love of Jesus shining from them. Kindness can even be an act of courage, for when done in a time or place when kindness is looked down upon or forbidden, acting on it becomes something of enormous bravery.

In this clip from the 2011 version of Jane Eyre, we see two girls growing up in a stringent private school. One, Helen Burns, is dying of tuberculosis. The other, Jane Eyre, who drops her chalkboard in an act of defiance to her teachers, is appalled at the mistreatment of her already sick friend. She is punished.

Helen disobeys the master of the school and gives her own bread to her friend, even though 1. she needs it to get stronger, 2. the master has forbidden it, and 3. she could very easily have been caught, as she was surrounded by so many other girls. However, Helen Burns' kindness in this one instance kept Jane Eyre going, and she survived her dreadful school upbringing when many of the other girls did not.

Kindness is kind of like magic. For no explainable reason, one small kind act can make other people want to be kind, too. It can brighten a million people's day, all because one person decided to be nice. And because it works this way, I have been looking for kindness inspiration and have collected a few stories that inspire me to be kinder to the people around me. One of them is just people being nice. The other is an amazing group of people who are making a difference through kindness. Check these out: 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it, folks! People can make a difference through kindness, even it that just means being friendly to that annoying guy in the cubicle next to yours. Even if that just means paying for the person behind you in the Dunkin' Donuts drive through. Kindness generates happiness and happiness generates kindness in a cycle, so if someone starts it, it will keep going on and on! Be that person! This spring, I hope you see others needs. I hope you feel happy. And I hope you share kindness!

 

Colossians 3:12 (ESV):   

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience..."