Have you ever thought about how one simple act can impact our lives and the lives of others? I was reminded of that recently by something my husband shared with me.
When our sons were growing up, our home was the go-to place for all their friends. Paul and I loved that and many of those young men adopted us as a second set of parents. Jeremiah Shelton (best known to us as “Bub”) was one of them.
Bub is a daddy now, his own home filled with family–a beautiful wife, Amy, and two adorable children. Paul had lunch with Bub recently and enjoyed catching up on what’s been going on in their lives.
Bub shared a precious story about his family going out to eat after taking their four-year-old son, Jeremy, to see some race cars.
Jeremy said the blessing for their food—and also prayed for the race cars—and then Bub took him to the restroom, helping him wash his hands. An older gentleman wearing a leather cowboy hat was also in the men’s room. Bub had noticed him earlier at the table behind them.
Bub said, “As we left the bathroom, the man made a comment about what a well-behaved, sweet and polite child Jeremy was. I thanked him and then we went back to the table. Later when we got our check, we discovered the man had paid for our meal, with a comment about Jeremy being well-mannered and his praying intently for our food.”
I was so touched by what the man did for Bub and his family. Bub said that he and Amy cried all the way to their car and halfway home. What a wonderful boost for a young family—not just that someone cared enough to be kind, but that someone would encourage them to keep teaching their children to love God.
And that led me to think about something. We’ve all heard of random acts of kindness, but what if we did intentional and consistent acts of kindness to encourage people in their faith?
Do you see a family praying together over their meal at a restaurant? Buy their dinner and leave a note on the back of their check, “I noticed your family praying together over your meal. Keep it up!”
And if you can’t afford to buy their food, stop by their table and say, “I saw your family pray for your meal. You were a blessing to me.”
Or if you notice a family with children who are well-behaved during the meal, stop by the table and compliment the children on their behavior and tell the parents they’re doing a great job. Parenting is one of the best jobs in the world, but it can sometimes also be a tough gig. Sincere comments like that can make a big impact on the children and give a jolt of encouragement to moms and dads.
What intentional act of kindness could you do for someone today?
