Embrace the Wonder

No one is insignificant and no small kindness is without wonder. Help make your world a better place.

Embrace the Wonder

What happens when someone goes out of their way to perform an unexpected kindness on our behalf? Whether the deed is large or small it stops us in our tracks and we embrace the wonder of their selfless act. It touches a spot deep in our being and somehow we sense God’s loving hand.

I had stopped at the grocery to pick up a few items. At the checkout I looked in my purse for my debit card and couldn’t find it so I looked for my checkbook. To my dismay I couldn’t find it either. My total came to $28. I had $25. I explained my predicament to the young man that was the store cashier that day and asked him to remove a couple of items to bring my total under $25. He smiled at me and told me to have a nice day as he handed me the receipt and took my cash. I left with all the items in my bag and in a state of wonder at this random act of kindness. That is one trip to the grocery store I will never forget!

On another shopping trip, I was putting my bags in my car. It had just begun to rain and I was pretty sure I was going to get wet when an elderly lady stopped to help me. “You’re going to get all wet!” I protested. She would have nothing of it but to help me empty my basket of groceries.

There is no age limit on performing good deeds. One young man and one elderly lady both showed me an unexpected kindness. When is the last time you saw an opportunity to randomly help someone? What did you do?

Mary lived on the side of a mountain. She had no children and her husband was often away from home due to his job, leaving Mary with a lot of extra time on her hands. She filled those extra hours by working in her flower garden. One warm spring day while Mary strolled among her flowers she thought how sad it was that she had no one to share her garden with for her mountainside was a sea of riotous bloom. As she lamented her loneliness she got an idea. She painted a large sign that read, “Please stop by and see what I did with one bulb and one seed at a time.” She posted the sign on the side of the road next to her lane for all that passed by to see.

To Mary’s delight soon people began to stop by for a closer look at her beautiful garden. They marveled at the rolling field of color dipping and spreading over the mountain side while a sweet, titillating fragrance drained away their worry and care.

Mary loved meeting her visitors and always sent them on their way with flower bulbs and seeds from the mountainous garden.  When asked how she had managed to create such a panorama of flowers, she always smiled and said, “One bulb and one seed at a time.”

Mary’s whole life changed after that. Many of her visitors became dear friends. Their children called her “Aunt Mary” and all she had done was to share what she had.

There are so many problems in our world today it is sometimes overwhelming and we wonder what ONE person can do but Jesus said if we just give a cup of water in His name we have done it unto him.  Maybe we won’t change the world but what about our little corner of the world? Over a life time of selfless giving we can have a mountain side filled with blessings brought to other hearts and thence enriching our own lives for did not our Savior say, “It is more blessed to give”? The miracle is that when we become givers to others to help lighten their load we are often the most blessed. Here are some examples of ways we can embrace the wonder for ourselves and others keeping in mind that opportunities we view as commonplace interruptions might actually be divine appointments.

 

• The next time your child vies for your attention, don’t say, “I’m too busy right now.” It’s so easy to tell our children “later” but sometimes later never comes. Embrace the wonder of your child and give them the time they are asking for. Perhaps a picnic or sitting together in the back porch swing. You will be sowing memories of a precious stolen moment for you both.   (By the way, even “big kids” need time with mom or dad.)

• Buy a single rose and give it away. Sometimes that says more than an entire bouquet. I was a new employee and my boss was always short and unfriendly to me. My feelings were hurt and I was confused by her attitude. One morning I picked a flower from my garden and gave it to her. I told her it was so pretty I just wanted to share it with someone. Something melted in her that day. She totally dropped “the attitude” and we had a good relationship from that moment on. I still embrace the wonder of what that one flower wrought that day.

• What about sending a special card to an old friend to let them know you are thinking of them? It will turn an ordinary day in a memorable one; or sending a get well card to someone in your church letting them know they are on your mind?  

• When you are out and about … Smile at a Stranger. Nine times out of ten they will smile back and you both will embrace the wonder of a stranger’s smile!

• Last week our pastor asked us to encourage one person a day for a week. I did just that. The results of my little act of kindness surprised me. Those I spoke to told me I had made their day and I found myself filled with wonder at what a kind word can do.

 

We’re not all called to do great things for God. We can’t all be ministers or missionaries or singers or teachers. But as Christian’s we are commanded to “do unto others”. The Bible says for us to look at what is in our hand and to take that and use it for the Lord. That’s what Mary did. She shared her flowers and became a living blessing to all that visited her. What is in your hand?