Kindness

I was reading http://www.thehorseshoeinghousewife.blogspot.com/ this morning. Mikey asked us to read the story of Argus, a rescued horse. Even though I knew what would happen, I read it and cried anyway. Susan, one of Mikey's friends from http://www.paintedpromise.com/ has a rescue ranch. Her story on Wilbur had me crying a few days earlier. I am a sap like that. Whenever my children see me starting to tear up, they always exclaim, "You're pathetic!" and begin to relate the story to anyone present: "She cried at 'Ice Age'! It was a CARTOON!" Damn heartless savages. The wooly mammoth had suffered great loss.

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Yesterday's post on Jerod brought two responses, one from Mike, one from Susan. Out of curiosity, I checked out Mike's website ( http://www.ifsofog.blogspot.com/ ). He seems just the same sort of thinking, tenderhearted person that Susan is, yet both of them talked about the anger they've encountered in a church setting. I've run into this myself. I come from angry church people stock, truth be told.

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How can a person sleep at night knowing that outside their animals are in misery? How does a person sleep at night knowing that they've been part of the angry mob that caused people to leave their church? Perhaps twisted a gentle spirit's vision of God Himself? Things like this grieve me. What an ugly world we live in.

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This is why I'm glad that I'm a sap. This is why it delights me to meet other tenderhearted people. I firmly believe that the world is a better place because of us. I try never to leave a kindness undone.

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People have a lot of excuses for not being kind. Mostly what you hear is some long and detailed accounting of why the person in need does not warrant kindness. I believe that I am judged on my own actions. That is to say that I don't expect to be standing before God one day as He laughs and slaps His divine and holy knee, chortling, "Boy, that homeless guy sure made you look like an ass when you gave him that sandwich. Man, what a screaming scene! You should have seen the look on your face! " No. I expect God will be pleased I acted in kindness, regardless of the response.

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St Francis said it best. "Preach the gospel always. If necessary, use words."