Scripture:

May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!  -Ruth 2:12 

You got to try a little kindness
Yes show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
-Glen Campbell

Devotional:

I love a feel-good story. Those human interest segments they save for the last three minutes of the evening newscast. Stories of someone paying for the car behind them in the drive-thru and that kindness spawning a two-hour continuation of paying for the car behind. The little girl who sets up a lemonade stand to raise money for a local animal shelter. I especially loved the one about a “popular boy” who decided to spend lunch sitting with someone who was sitting alone. I wish they would place these stories at the beginning of the newscast.  

When we read the story of Ruth we may look at it as a Biblical feel-good story. As we read how Boaz showed kindness to Ruth, not only to allow her to glean in the field, but to promise her protection, food, water, and an abundant amount of barley to glean. These were not luxury items, these were necessities. Necessities that didn’t come easily to a widow living with her widowed mother-in-law. 

But Ruth’s kindness to Naomi proceeded her. Because of that kindness, Boaz extended kindness. Kindness begat kindness. 

Every day we have opportunities to show kindness. It can be something as small as holding the door open for someone. And we feel good doing these things. It makes us happy and warm inside. I did something good! It was no big deal, but boy I felt good! 

How good would we feel if the kindness we extended was outside our comfort zone? Amazing, right? How good would we feel if we paid someone’s rent for a month, or spent a year on a mission trip, or changed jobs so that every day we were in total service to others? Or donate a kidney? You may have seen the news segment last week of a local teacher who was part of a kidney exchange program, where several people in need of kidneys were matched to willing donors. 

Those are really big things! And while God does not ask everyone to do the really big things, God does ask us to step outside the bounds of the “easy.”  Pastor Chris noted on Sunday the 2019 Dulles South Food Pantry donations were an amazing 284,000 pounds! That amount doesn’t come from looking in the back of the pantry for that one can of food the kids won’t eat. It comes from being intentional to provide for those who need.  

Think back on your life of the kindnesses extended to you. As I think on this, I remember the box of clothes my cousin had outgrown that were given to me; real store-bought clothes! I remember the bushel of peaches my uncle brought so my mama could can peaches for us to have during the winter, a real delicacy! And I remember the hand knitted hat and scarf our elderly neighbor made for me. Forty-six years later, I still wear them every winter.  You never know how long a little kindness will last.

 Prayer:

God, thank You for the many kindnesses shown to me. Forgive me for the times when I withheld kindness from others. Strengthen me to share abundant kindness. Help me to remember Your answered prayers through Your people. Help me to break out of the confines of my comfort to show Your love. Amen

Written by Gwen Hess. Gwen is a worship leader, congregational care minister, seminary student, and a member of the Empty Nesters group. She is married to Greg and they love spoiling their four grandchildren.