If we lived lives full to the brim of kindness each day, imagine how different our world would be.
Our actions shape us. I would go so far as to say that every single action of your day tells a story. Who you are. Values you hold. Your preferences. Your struggles. What delights you. How you self-protect. How you give. How you love.
And the actions of others shape us. We are impacted by the actions of others. For good or ill.
Maybe that’s why our collective history tied to World War I and II serve as everyday lessons that we can’t forget, that touch our hearts deeply. We’ve read stories, we’ve seen movies and some of us have been blessed to know and meet those who have served in the armed forces or have had interactions with their family members. Heroism. Sacrifice. Goodness. Fidelity. Unity. Kindness. And all amid horrific evil and bloodshed.
It’s our everyday actions that move the current of our individual lives and as a whole, the current of the world. It may sound dramatic but take anyone’s life and their story and you can see the impact their actions and the actions of others had on their lives. We may not see it now, but in the end, it will all be known.
This is why kindness matters.
What if. What if you were to remove someone’s kind deed from a thread in our history. Someone who gave us his life to help save the life of a friend on the battlefield. Fast forward 50 years and see the many lives impacted by that one selfless act. Looking at another thread of history, see a boy who grew up feeling abandoned, rejected, bullied. Project forward…see this abandoned boy as an adult and experience how he has impacted the world. Imagine the millions and millions of threads throughout the course of human existence.
Kindness matters.
What if. What if YOU are the one God is calling to somehow impact the life of someone 50 years out, someone whom you never will meet, by your one kind deed today. A smile. Paying for someone’s groceries. Donating to a homeless shelter. Reaching out to a friend in need. Asking a grouchy neighbor how he is doing. Offering a helping hand at work. Pausing to give your whole-hearted attention to your child when you are busy. Seeing the good in someone everyone struggles with and reflecting that back to her. Offering a prayer for someone suffering the effects of war across the world. Holding back an impatient reaction and responding kindly. In one day, do you know how many acts of kindness you can do? It’s unlimited.
If we lived lives full to the brim of kindness each day, imagine how different our world would be. Imagine the people around you. What would they be like? Imagine the future. What would it be like? Kindness matters.
By Sister Mary Scholastica, OCD
This article appears here with the kind permission of the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. To learn more about their community and work, read their biography below and visit their website.
Image credit: Photo by Kawin Harasai on Unsplash
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