SATURDAY, December 15
Do not underestimate the value of one single act of genuine kindness and love. Allow me to explain why this is such a vital reminder for each of us.
Not long ago, I was the recipient of a negative critique. This is certainly not uncommon for any of us, and I have certainly deserved and needed my share of critiques. But this one was different. One reason was because it came from my six year old daughter; another reason this critique was so significant was the accuracy offered by such an innocent life. The critique? She said, “Daddy, you have stopped having fun with me.” Ouch! So, I found myself at an impasse. Do I defend my serious and busy adult life, do I try to change her perspective, or do I take one simple step toward correcting an error. I chose the latter of the three. I dropped what I was doing (literally dropped the phone, the brief case, etc.), and I sat in the floor with her while she described to me how to organize her stickers in her new Princess sticker book. I did not give a congenial moment of interest; I literally allowed her needs to dominate my interests, and the result, as always, was very good. Moments later she said, “thank you for playing with me daddy” (her second unsolicited gratitude for a thirty minute period of fun with dad). The point is this: one simple act, which in the grander scheme of life cost me absolutely nothing, changed my daughter’s day. I was amazed at how little of my time actually satisfied her little heart. I walked away thinking, “hum, one little act of genuine kindness and love can go along way with someone.”
How about you? Who needs five minutes of your time to sit in the floor and become a part of their world, even for a moment? Who needs you to listen? The world will not come crashing down if you push back from your interests and schedule to take a moment and offer one single act of genuine kindness and love. Who knows? Maybe one single act will string together several acts of kindness, and before you know it, someone’s life has been changed because of you. This Advent season, look for an opportunity to share one single act of genuine kindness and love with those strangers, family members, or friends in your daily path.