Thanksgiving is always a great time to pause and reflect. We can allow life to slow down, at least for a short period, so that we can think about our lives, what we have to be grateful for, and what’s on our hearts. We believe it is because we live out of a spirit of gratitude for our blessings that we want to be a blessing to others. Because we have been shown kindness, we want to show kindness. And yet, sometimes I can’t help but wonder if the small, everyday kind-things I do really make a difference in the lives of others.
Sometimes I want to do something big that will really make a meaningful impact on others, but what should I do? This time during Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to think about that. I always love reading the story of Jesus as he comes near the city of Jerusalem in Luke 19:41. It says, “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it.” The ultimate act of kindness comes from Jesus being willing to die on a cross and be resurrected so that we might have hope. The reason God did this is because when Jesus looked over the city and the people, his heart broke for them. He cared deeply about them and wanted to do anything he could to offer hope.
When was the last time you wept because your heart broke for something? What moves you to tears because you care so much about it? This might be a good place to begin reflecting about where God is leading you to make a difference through kindness. It was Frederick Buechner who said, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” The needs of this world are endless. Kindness is needed everywhere we look, and we can’t do it all. But we can make a difference in the place where our heart is moved by the needs we see in the world.
Take time today to think about what makes you weep when you see it. Then think about what you can do to meet the deep hunger in the place. When we do this, our kindness begins to make a tremendous impact on the lives of others that will have ripple effects felt around the world and throughout time.
Rev. Josh Attaway, St. Luke’s Edmond Campus Pastor
