Have you ever been on the receiving end of a random act of kindness? It’s a wonderful experience, as Hope Fellowship’s staff discovered on Thursday when we walked into the Prayer Room for our weekly prayer time. There, on the couch, beside two batches of muffins, was a large, hand-made poster that shouted, “Thank you, Hope Fellowship staff!”
But who was responsible for this treat?
I happened to know because, after finishing the New Members class the previous night, my nose had picked up the scent of baking and pulled me into the kitchen. There I found the RAD group taste-testing freshly baked muffins and oatmeal cookies. On the counter a Styrofoam plate with muffins carried a sign that said “Thank you, firefighters.”
“Are you bringing that to the local fire department?” I asked. The kids nodded their heads with excitement and I said, “That’s fantastic!”
On Thursday, the challenge for the office staff was to leave the muffins alone until the Zone Co-ordinators meeting that night. But we wrestled temptation to the ground and left enough baked goods to pass the plate several times.
It was Joseph Joubert (1754-1824), a French moralist, who made the observation that "kindness is one of the most difficult things to give away because it is usually returned." How right he was. And how good it is to see our teens discover the joy of blessing others and being blessed in return.
Jesus urged people to do good even to their enemies. Why? Because our Heavenly Father “is kind (even) to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35).
I’m sure that our RAD group did not run into any ungrateful people as they brought muffins to our staff and the fire department, gave NO Frills shoppers quarters at the door and returned their shopping carts to the bins, and even washed a ton of dishes that were collecting dust in Hope Fellowship’s shipping container. Instead they stirred up lots of thanksgiving and probably inspired many other kind gestures.
There’s just one problem with an act of kindness involving food. It’s hard to chew and smile at the same time.
- Pastor Peter
But who was responsible for this treat?
I happened to know because, after finishing the New Members class the previous night, my nose had picked up the scent of baking and pulled me into the kitchen. There I found the RAD group taste-testing freshly baked muffins and oatmeal cookies. On the counter a Styrofoam plate with muffins carried a sign that said “Thank you, firefighters.”
“Are you bringing that to the local fire department?” I asked. The kids nodded their heads with excitement and I said, “That’s fantastic!”
On Thursday, the challenge for the office staff was to leave the muffins alone until the Zone Co-ordinators meeting that night. But we wrestled temptation to the ground and left enough baked goods to pass the plate several times.
It was Joseph Joubert (1754-1824), a French moralist, who made the observation that "kindness is one of the most difficult things to give away because it is usually returned." How right he was. And how good it is to see our teens discover the joy of blessing others and being blessed in return.
Jesus urged people to do good even to their enemies. Why? Because our Heavenly Father “is kind (even) to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35).
I’m sure that our RAD group did not run into any ungrateful people as they brought muffins to our staff and the fire department, gave NO Frills shoppers quarters at the door and returned their shopping carts to the bins, and even washed a ton of dishes that were collecting dust in Hope Fellowship’s shipping container. Instead they stirred up lots of thanksgiving and probably inspired many other kind gestures.
There’s just one problem with an act of kindness involving food. It’s hard to chew and smile at the same time.
- Pastor Peter
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