Showing Kindness = Sweet Success

Occasionally I like to brighten someone’s day and show a little kindness. This morning I had the idea to bake lemon bars before church and then take some to a Christian shut-in sister. She loves sweets and I knew this would brighten her day, so I took a few extra minutes this morning to bake this recipe and this afternoon I made a visit. Needless to say she was surprised and excited about what I brought her. Yes, I bake yummy things even though I am trying to watch my figure and be healthier. The key is moderation and portion control. I didn't want the other half of the recipe to go to waste and I knew that if they stuck around at my house very long I would overindulge, so I took some to my parents this afternoon and some to our ladies bible study tonight before church. Needless to say the recipe made a bunch of lemon bars and I still had some left after distributing them to my peeps, so I shared the wealth to other friends at church who were not in bible class. I am happy to report that they are all gone now and the smiles and giggles I got from the 2 year old and the 97 year old today were priceless. I call this a sweet success! I know I can count on Samuel and Ella Mae to help me eat the sweets I crave when I get in a baking mood again. 

Being nice and showing kindness is when we are good to others, display a pleasant happy disposition, show concern and compassion, and are considerate to others besides ourselves. The Bible teaches us as Christians that we must be kind. Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” According to Proverbs 11:17 if we are kind we will reap the benefits personally, but if we are cruel then we only bring on ruin to ourselves. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” Colossians 3:12.

I challenge you this month (or every month) to make a point to show kindness and be nice to someone “just because”. Let someone know you appreciate them and care about them. You could also encourage someone or thank them. Send them a card, bake something like I did, or take them something “just because” to let them know you think they are special. Get creative and involve others around you. It took me 10 minutes to prepare the recipe, it baked for 40 minutes while I got ready for church, and I spent 30 minutes delivering it. This was time well spent in my opinion because I got to brighten someone’s day. What are you going to do to show kindness this month?