Random Acts of Kindness Day

My first job out of college was as a Christian Education /Music Director at The First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Russellville,  Arkansas.

The pastor was showing me around.   When we got to his office, he walked to the coffee pot and said, "I go to the hospital and nursing homes first thing each morning and you will have my coffee made for me when I come to the office."

"I don't drink coffee and I don't make coffee", was my reply.

Wisdom at 53 now knows that the 21-year-old me should have gone and packed her things and moved home, because it was not going to get any better, and it didn't.  That was a period of great trials for me during those 21 months.  I was far too young to know what to do, and playing the politics of church was too heart-wrenching for me to maneuver. I left Arkansas damaged and questioning my faith and searching for what I was being called to do with my life...the search continued for many years, and sometimes creeps back in when my guard is down.

I have shared this story with many people, and now, it makes me laugh. When applying for a job as a church secretay years later, I was quick to point out that I didn't drink or make coffee.  The head of the personnel committee sent me this message in an email one day:

Habits...we all have them. Some are good. Some are bad.

I have spent the last few years doing my best to focus on breaking some horrible habits of mine, and replacing them with the good things I was taught to do by my parents...often through their actions, instead of their words.

I am careful to remind people that my parents were not perfect, but the thing they did, that has left an impression on me,  is that when they told me NOT to do something,  I was assured that they didn't do it either. I admire that quality above all else.

One thing they taught me, through actions, was to do for others. They both were great encouragers of young people.

Mother worked tirelessly with the children at church and through 4-H, where she was affectionally called, "Momma Bear".

At Daddy's funeral, the son of the Funeral Home owner, shared at the gravesite, that as a young man, he was delivering gas to the farm, and he was nervous since it was his first time to do that. He shared that Daddy told him "to be careful, take your time and you will do fine." It made an impression on him that he shared over 20 years later.

At the funeral home of a friend, the son, who had worked as an engineer at Nasa, shared the story of his first job at the ASCS Office, where Daddy was the Chairman for many years. He told of how hard one of the men had been on him because of a mistake in measuring tobacco. One day at church, Daddy asked this young man how everything was going because Daddy knew something was wrong. Jerry shared about his mistake and how he was being treated. Daddy listened  and just encouraged him to do better and hang in there. It was never mentioned again. Years later, Jerry learned that Daddy had spoken to the man and told him that it was their responsibility to train and to support the young workers
and reminded him that we all make mistakes! Jerry shared this story 6 years after Daddy's death, and over 50 years after it happened...pretty awesome!

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day.

I  hope that you will do something in honor of this day.

EVERYTHING we do is a habit...why not make a habit of being kind...of being helpful...of seeing the good in people...of encouraging...

Let's make a habit of not sharing mean comments...of not talking about people...of not keeping track of how many times we've been "wronged"...of not gossiping...of not making fun of people...

Let's make NEW and IMPROVED habits...

Let your heart be broken by the things that break God's heart...

Rejoice in GOOD...

Be the CHANGE you want to see in the world...

Let's start TODAY!

I wish Blessings to you...~~charlotte♡