Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17, NIV)
During deployments, families not only worry about their loved one’s safety, but they also have to cope with the unexpected problems at home. (Military spouses know that if something can break, it usually will break when their partner is away.)
However, God shows up. And He often uses random acts of kindness from strangers to address needs and calm fears.
This became evident to me during our son’s first deployment. As I was wrestling with feelings that no one cared about the fact that my son was sacrificing so much for his country, it came time to ship him a Christmas package. At the post office, the line was long, and I chatted with the woman behind me. I shared that the box in my arms was for my son. She told me how much she appreciated his service and asked his name so she could pray for him.
When I was called to the counter, she stepped up behind me and handed the clerk a twenty-dollar bill. “Use it to pay for this box.”
God used that woman’s kindness to soften my hard feelings.
Another time, I was stressing over the fact that I couldn’t pray for my son 24 hours a day. I had asked God to reassure me that our son was always under His protection and in His heart. The next day began a series of cards, phone calls and random conversations with people we knew. Each one of them had the same message for me: “I wanted you to know that God reminded me to pray for your son. And I felt like I was supposed to tell you that.”
February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness day. And from our perspective, the things we do to help those around us—friend or stranger—may indeed seem random. But I know God is at work. He’s busy encouraging, comforting and loving us. And the blessings He orchestrates are never random.
