“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, \forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” -Colossians 3:12-14
A simple act of kindness can change a person’s day. When more than one person commits to act in kindness, it may change a community. That happened when two strangers allowed kindness to direct their actions at an inconvenient moment.
Casey Marlow owns a busy home construction business. He stopped at a convenience store in his hometown of Douglassville, Georgia. Casey was thirsty and wanted to purchase a drink. When he got to the counter, Casey realized that he had forgotten his wallet in the truck. He quickly went outside to retrieve his wallet, but when he came inside, he realized that the man behind him in the line had bought his drink for him. It was an unexpected and gracious act. Casey was sure he had upset the people behind him. Instead, he received kindness from a stranger.
The two men struck up a conversation outside of the convenience store. The man who bought Casey’s drink was named Mario. Mario and his family were living in a motel. They had recently been evicted from their home and struggling to find their way. Even though Mario was experiencing difficult times, he extended kindness by buying a drink for someone he did not know. The more Casey learned about Mario’s story the more he knew he needed to help.
When Casey returned to work, he took to social media, set up a GoFundMe account, and told Mario’s story to his friends. Kasey knew that if everyone contributed just a little, they could help this kind man with an even kinder gesture. It was the right thing to do.
Before long, donations started pouring in. In a short amount of time, Kasey had collected $35,000. It took 24 hours to collect a life-changing amount of money that would bless Mario and his family for years to come.
Kindness can change a person’s day, and a community intentional about kindness can change the future. Casey knew he needed to help Mario but could not do it alone. It took everyone acting with compassion to make this happen. We sometimes doubt our ability to make a difference, but when we offer kindness as individuals or as a family of faith, we, too, can share God’s love and bring hope to the most challenging situations.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
