Tag: bible

Unexpected Kindness

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

-Author Unknown

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

— Aesop

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

-Colossians 3:12

The best and most beautiful

things in the world cannot be

seen or even touched- they must be felt with

the heart.

-Helen Keller


Today’s Sunday School lesson was about the story of Ruth. If you are not familiar, I’ll summarize briefly:

Ruth was one of two daughter-in-laws to a lady named Naomi. All 3 women lost their husbands and were widows. During that time, widowed women commonly returned to live with other family members after their husbands passed away. The lady, Naomi, had one daughter-in-law return to her own family.  The other daughter-in-law, Ruth, chose to stay with and take care of Naomi as she returned to her hometown of Bethlehem with her extended family.

There was a man there who was a relative of Naomi’s late husband named Boaz. He owned barley fields. Naomi encouraged Ruth to go behind the servants in the field and glean any barley they had dropped. The owner of the field, Boaz, noticed Ruth, found out who she was, and told his servants to drop extra grain so she and Naomi would have enough to eat. He also made sure that Ruth was safe while she worked in the barley field. 

Eventually, Ruth and Boaz married, but his character of kindness was obvious long before there was any kind of romantic relationship between the two. 

Today it struck me as I was listening to the lesson, of how Ruth was an extremely kind and selfless person. She stayed with her mother-in-law instead of returning to her own original family. She promised her complete loyalty to Naomi forever. 

Then almost as if they were kindred spirits destined to find each other, Boaz meets Ruth and treats her with similar kindness. It melts my heart a little to think of those two very kind, thoughtful, giving people finding and eventually loving each other forever. 

I don’t know about you, but kindness seems pretty rare to me these days. Most people are so self-absorbed or busy, they don’t take the time to extend kindness to another person. It’s like they just don’t care to be bothered with it. 

Whenever the rare occasion happens, that I meet someone who is gentle and kind, it stops me in my tracks. To feel like I’m not bothering someone or inconveniencing them is something extremely rare and special. 

So many times I feel the simple act of kindness is downplayed in today’s world. But I honestly don’t understand why? Why are success, titles, money, etc. considered more valuable? None of those things truly bring contentment, peace, friendship, true intimacy, love.

I’m an introvert, but I hope others recognize the kindness I try to mindfully extend to them. Not because I’m anyone important, but because I know what it feels like to have kindness extended to me. Kindness that I didn’t have to earn. Kindness without expectations. Kindness because that’s who God is. 

I originally created this blog so people reading it could feel a sense of kindness and friendship and to know that they weren’t alone. God is always there extending His loving kindness to each one of us, even when we can’t sense it.

The following song, You’re Carrying Me, popped up on Pandora the other day. To me it gives a real sense of how loving and kind God is towards us. I hope you enjoy it. Blessings!

Your friend,

Tiffany

You’re Carrying Me

Unexpected kindness, I turn my face to You

Surrounded by Your mercy, I’m falling into You

[Pre-Chorus]

I’m waiting, You’re running and I lean into You

[Chorus]

You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me

And I choose to trust You, Lord

You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me

And I choose to trust You, Lord

[Verse 2]

I don’t know the future but I place my hope in You, hm-mm-mmm

As You call me forward, I’m falling into You

[Pre-Chorus]

I’m waiting, You’re running and I lean into You

My burdens are falling as I lean into You

[Chorus]

You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me

And I choose to trust You, Lord

You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me

And I choose to trust You, Lord

You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me

And I choose to trust You, Lord

You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me

And I choose to trust You, Lord

[Bridge]

I’m waiting, You’re running and I lean into You, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-ohh

My burdens, they are falling as I lean into You, oh

[Chorus]

You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me

And I choose to trust You, Lord

You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me, You’re carrying me

And I choose to trust You, Lord

Refrain]

I trust You, I trust You, I trust You, hm-mm-mm-mm-mm

I trust You, I trust You, I trust You

Tears of Faith

Find me in the river

Find me on my knees

I’ve walked against the water

Now I’m waiting if you please

We’ve longed to see the roses

But never felt the thorns

And bought our pretty crowns

But never paid the price

Find me in the river

Find me there

Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare

Even though you’re gone

And I’m cracked and dry

Find me in the river

I’m waiting here

Find me in the river

Find me on my knees

I’ve walked against the water

Now I’m waiting if you please

We didn’t count on suffering

We didn’t count on pain

But if there are blessings in the valley

Then in the river I will wait

Find me in the river

Find me there

Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare

Even though you’re gone

And I’m cracked and dry

Find me in the River

I’m waiting here

Find me in the river

Find me there

Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare

Even though you’re gone

And I’m cracked and dry

Find me in the river

I’m waiting here for you

Come find me here

Find me in the river

Find me here for you

Oh wash over me

Find me here

~Find Me In The River, 1995,

Delirious?

Yesterday, WordPress sent me a notification of two of my posts from 8/15 from years past. One of them was called Find Me In the River…based on the 1995 Delirious? song. It reminded me of how hard it can be waiting for answers and difficult circumstance to change. Sometimes waiting is all we can do. We might be parched and thirsty, but we have to continue to wait and go through the process. We have to sow our tiny mustard seed of faith, even if we feel like it’s barely there.  We aren’t truly alone even if we feel like it. It’s okay to plant our seeds even through our tears. 

Seeds aren’t picky about moisture, and tears can be a catalyst for growth.

This morning, I ran across the following devotion and wanted to share it. I hope it encourages you to keep pressing on. 

Blessings.

Your friend,

Tiffany

Tears of Faith (YouVersion Bible Devotional)

Have you ever had your heart broken? Or your dreams shattered? Or had your plans crushed by reality?

That happened to the Jewish people when they were forced to leave their homes and become exiles in a foreign land. Their grief was surely deep and their questions surely plenty, but even their tears couldn’t stop new growth.

Recorded in Psalm 126, regarding the time “when the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem…”

“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭126:5 NLT‬‬

Like the Israelites, you might be in a season of unexpected sadness, but joy, fruit, and abundance are waiting on the other side. 

Are you worried about someone in your family? Are you frustrated with someone at work? Are you devastated or numb regarding a situation in your life? Are you baffled by what you see on the news? Is your health failing you? Is this season not quite what you’d hoped?

Maybe you truly want to make a difference and you want the people around you to know God, but it’s hard—because you’re trudging forward through tears. 

The great news is, seeds aren’t picky about moisture, and tears can be a catalyst for growth.

Like any good book or movie, there’s conflict before there’s resolution. Like a woman in labor, there’s pain before there’s new life. Like a prisoner, there’s the angst of captivity before there’s the relief of freedom. Like any real farmer knows, there’s dirt and sweat before there’s any kind of harvest.

We don’t always get to choose the environment in which we sow seeds. But regardless, we—people made in the image of God—are called to love Him and love people, to be fruitful and multiply, to go and make disciples, and to trust Him with our grief.

Joy is often preceded by tears, which should give us great hope.

So, let’s continue to do the good work God has put before us. Let’s continue to plant seeds in faith, even through tears. Let’s honor Him as we sow our seeds and trust Him with the harvest.