Random Acts of Kindness

There are days when I have a million things on my plate, when it will take more hours than a day consists of just to complete half of my tasks, days when I've got a mission, or a list of things that MUST get done, days when I need to write.
Then there are days, you know? When I forget that the world does not, in fact, revolve around me. That this planet does not spin just for me to accomplish my goals. That other people, yes, other than me, are important. Even as important as me. Hard to imagine, I know, but it's true.
Guess which kind of day I had?
Yeah, I got slapped with a big ol' dose of reality today. I was reminded, in a rather obvious way, that my purpose here on earth is really NOT to accomplish MY goals. Sheesh. Sometimes, I think it would be much easier to be a Christian if I could just manage to get around that whole 'strive to be like Christ' part of it. Because Christ? He was a pretty impressive guy. And trying to be like him? Yeah, it ain't easy. Not even close.
What am I babbling about? Well, I'll explain.
Some of you know my husband. Some of you have only read about him. For those that don't actually know him, I can only hope that I have led you to understand that he is an incredible man. Really, he's quite possibly the very best man that I've ever met. The only other man in my entire life that can even hold a candle to my husband is my Papa, my grandfather, and as I don't actually remember ever meeting him (he was just always there, you know?) that leaves my man as the very best of the best. He does things like send me e-mails from the train at 5am, knowing that I generally check e-mail before I start writing in the mornings, just to say "You're beautiful", even though I look nothing even close to beautiful when I'm reading those e-mails. And he knows it. He'll bring me flowers. On a Tuesday. That isn't my birthday. Or anniversary. Or anything other than a Tuesday. Just because he says they were pretty and made him think of me. He always makes his first call of the day in the mornings, and before anything else, he asks "Are you writing yet? I wanted to call before you started writing." Because he knows how hard it is for me to get back into a scene once I've been interrupted by the phone. He travels two hours each way to work, so we make enough that I don't really have to work, and still doesn't complain when my part-time sanity job means I'm not home every night. And those are just the things he does for me.
For other people? Yeah, he's just as wonderful. At least once a week, he spends his lunch money buying food for a homeless person in DC. He always stops at accidents. He has, literally, given the shirt off his back to someone that needed it. If he has something and someone else is in need, he gives what he has. That's just the kind of man he is. The very best kind.
Sometimes, it's really hard being married to someone so good. I mean, this man goes without lunch so homeless people can eat. He donates money to just about anyone with a cause. He's kind, and thoughtful, and caring. How can you complain about him running out of lunch money early, knowing that he gave it away to someone that was hungry? And he witnesses to people about the Lord in a way that I've never been able to do. Really, he's out there, every day, living the Gospel. Showing love, and patience, and honesty, and kindness. That's a lot to deal with on a daily basis. If I didn't know that he was human, it would be scary. No, he's not perfect. He has his flaws, I know. But still, in the big scheme of things, he's pretty dern great.
Today, I saw him in action again. We're in the middle of our annual Missions conference at church. Missionaries have been there all week long, preaching and sharing and hoping for support and prayer. I went to church early to help set up for the banquet, he stayed home a bit longer to finish homework. On his way to church with 3 of the kids, he saw a man walking along the side of the road. He dropped the kids off at church and went back for the man. Yes, he even picks up hitchhikers. When I asked him about this, he explained that he doesn't do it all the time, only after he prays, and never with kids in the car. Kind, but not stupid, ok?
So he picks up the hitchhiker and brings him to church. There's a banquet, so the man gets fed. Then my husband gave him a Bible, and invited him to stay for the sermon. He stayed. Then the guy took a shower at the church. This is where the story takes an almost unusual turn though. See, hubby had a date with the boys to go to the movies. Plans had been made for weeks, tickets already bought, boys already hyped. So how to get the hitchhiker to where he needed to be was the new problem. He wasn't going all that far, just a little over a hundred miles up the road, to Frederick, MD. Do you see where this is going?
I got to do the deed. Me. I got to finish what my husband started. I drove the man where he needed to go. Why? What on earth would possess me to allow a stranger in my van and truck him 100+ miles up the road? Did I lose my mind?
Not quite. Actually, I think I found my heart.
Tonight, the missionary said that part of our job as a Christian is to "go". He didn't say we had to go to Africa, or Brazil, or Crete. He didn't say we had to leave our country, or even our state. He just said our job was to "go", to take the Word to the world, to people that need it. To find a way to make a difference.
Well, I'm not a preacher. I'm not able to go to the Congo and reach tribal peoples. I can't start a church overseas. But tonight? Yeah, I could "go". It took some time, and some gas, and a bit of faith, but tonight? I got to "go". It wasn't that far. I know that. I drove farther for a booksigning event recently (though, admittedly, not much farther). But it was far enough. It made a difference, to that man and his children that he was going to see. It made a difference.
My husband's ability to see a need in a man on the side of the road opened up a door for me to take a step closer towards that whole 'trying to be like Jesus' thing. I got to be the final step in his journey. Will that man read the Bible? I don't know. Did the sermon he heard mean anything to him? I have no idea. Will he make a change in his life? Not a clue. But I took a chance, put my faith to the test, and did what I know I was supposed to do. I went.
One random act of kindness (offering a meal to a hitchhiker) resulted in my heart being expanded. Did my husband pick that man up because he knew I needed to get re-focussed? I doubt it. But that's what happened.
Random Acts of Kindness. You never know where they will lead. You never know who they will help. You can never tell what will happen. But if you're not careful, you may be the one that really gets the blessing.
Random acts of kindness. Have you been part of one lately?
Try it.
The life you change just might be your own.