Rushing through life, no time to stop, to consider, to notice, swept up in a whirlwind of busyness. Does this feel familiar? It is easy to be so caught up in the busyness of life that we miss out on the opportunities all around us to be kind, to choose our words more carefully, to really connect or reach out with a helping hand. Jaime Thurston says;
‘There will always be things in life that demand our immediate attention – deadlines, missed calls or a full inbox. But busyness is the death of kindness; we have little time for anything or anyone else.’ [Kindness the little thing that matters most]
So pause…make room in your life for kindness. Notice, listen, reach out, connect. Life is too short to be driven by our ‘to do’ list rather than the ones that really matter.
I am reminded of a biblical story; Jesus was surrounded by a crowd pressing around him, noisy and pushing. He was also being urged by a man concerned for his sick daughter. There is a sense of urgency and many demands and distractions but even in the midst of the throng Jesus is aware, he notices the women who reaches out to touch the hem of his coat, he pauses, shows compassion and ministers kindness, hope and healing to her. [Luke 8:40-48, The Bible] He could have ignored it, there were plenty of reasons not to stop and notice and nobody would have thought any less of him. He highlights the importance that whatever surrounds us, whatever demands are being made upon us we can always pause for a moment to have compassion, to be kind, to minister hope and healing. There are so many examples of Jesus slowing down the moment, cutting through the emotions of those around him to minister kindness in unexpected places or to those whom others might shun.
Today take a moment to pause…notice, listen, reach out and minister kindness, transforming your day as well as someone else’s life.