Corona Devo 462

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.  ~Hebrews 13:2

Kindness is contagious.  Love multiplies.  And kindness lived-out changes lives.  

Jesus was and is the Ultimate Example of "love and kindness lived-out".  He was kind to those that did not normally receive kindness (publicly-known sinners/lepers/those mentally and physically afflicted/societal outcasts).  Jesus loved the difficult people, the unaccepted people, the lost people: Jesus loved all people.  And by doing so, He changed their lives.

How about us?  

How are we doing with living-out kindness and love to those around us, and to those that are often overlooked?  Jesus made the effort and took the time.  How can we begin doing the same?  

I like real-life examples because they make the "ideal" seem possible and relatable.  

I was connected to local-example of love and kindness (and diligence!) the other day, and he reminded me that one person can make a difference.  

Our family enjoys being a part of an ongoing effort to bless 30 elderly-people that live in a nursing home in our city.  This "ministry" has revealed many generous hearts and creative givers, and one of my favorites is Johnny, a high schooler in the area that heard about the effort and ran away with it.  Or I should say that he "painted" away with it...  

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”  ~Luke 6:38

I pray that Johnny, a busy teen going above and beyond to make the most of his days and to do-his-best to affect others for good, will have blessings given to him because he sure is a giver.  

This past Spring, he painted 30 original landscape portraits to share with (and brighten the day of) the elderly at the nursing home that we share care-packages with.  Each page of paintings took him about two hours to complete and Johnny called the paintings his "stress relief" as he studied for exams (he recently achieved a perfect score on the Math section of his SAT) and as he also geared up for the Gymnastic Nationals competition in Daytona, Florida. 

Johnny is proof that there IS enough time in the day to make a difference and to show kindness to others.  

Of course our Ultimate Proof and Example in creatively reaching those with a need is Jesus Christ.  

Remember when over 5,000 people came to hear Jesus preach, and "as evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”  ~Matthew 14:15

The disciples were thinking how we usually think: Pragmatically, logically and "with-in our means".  But the kindness and love of Jesus defies "our means" and Jesus-is-able to create "new" means.  The exciting part is that He will include us in the process if we are willing to join Him in His efforts.

Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 
(17) “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.  ~Matthew 14:16-17

And we know how the story ends: the disciples helped Jesus pass out bread and fish to over 5,000 people that day.  They partnered with Jesus to distribute kindness and love in a tangible form.

Johnny did too.  
Nobody just "feels like" painting 30 watercolors for strangers.  But if we partner with Jesus in His efforts to distribute kindness and love to others, we may be surprised at the methods and the outcomes that God uses, but it is never a surprise to Jesus.

How are we doing with living-out kindness and love to those around us, and to those that are often overlooked?  Jesus made the effort and took the time in a myriad of ways.  What if we partnered with Jesus in some way today?  

For Johnny it was paintings, for us it might be a listening ear, a loaf of banana bread, or a prayer.  

Jesus loves all people, and He found time in His day to love the difficult people, the unaccepted people, , he hurt people and the lost people by connecting with them in some way.  And by doing so, His love and kindness changed their lives. 

How about us?  


We don't need to feed 5,000 people, but how can we partner with Jesus to color someone's life with kindness and love today?

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com


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