Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD.
Psalms 31:24
As St. Luke’s began the Kindness Project, the Children’s Center wanted to be sure we incorporated this theme into the children’s lessons. We spoke about it at one of our staff meetings, even playing excerpts from Dr. Long’s initial sermon introducing the project and encouraged our teachers to think of small acts the children could to purposely show the children how to give back to others and be outwardly kind beyond, “share with your friends, say sorry, and take turns.”
We started by asking the parents to talk with their children about the Kindness Project and to take their child with them to pick out a brand new stuffed animal to donate to children at the Rehabilitation Hospital. For a small child, this can be hard. Children love to give and celebrate others. The task that takes a lot of courage is when they are faced with picking out a new toy, one in which they would probably pick out themselves, and then giving it away.
The Children’s Center received and overwhelming amount of stuffed animals. So many in fact, that my car was full from top to bottom in every inch of my car.
When the children came by the front desk to drop of their notes and animals, joy exuded from them. While this project in itself was a wonderful experience, what happened after was so special. Parents thanked us for challenging them speak with their children about purposeful kindness. They told us about how they’ve made talking about kindness apart of their dinner table conversations and nightly bedtime routines and because we shared with them our church’s mission, they were able to deeply connect with their family and start a standard of meaningful communication. Not only that, but they began to come up with kindness projects for their own family. Some of them included delivering “thank you” bags to local police and fire departments, taking meals to neighbors, donating their time to various organizations who help others in the metro and more. Some of them even told us about how they started their own Kindness Project with their own church family.
Sometimes even when we can’t directly see the difference we are making, we are making it! When it feels like the acts of others around the world are those of cruelty and injustice, we are showing them that there is good in our hearts and in our community. We ARE doing good through being kind and our Kindness Project IS spreading.
Meredith Lee, Children’s Center Management
