Kindness in a Cup

It’s a new year, so how can we make things a little better?

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and although I’m not real big on resolutions, there is one discipline that’s worth keeping throughout 2021. Yes, even if you fail in it now and then. In fact, it’s a discipline you will surely fail at, but it’s worth writing down and following as best you’re able. And here it is in a nutshell: Proverbs 3:27 says, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to help them.” Or, maybe another way of paraphrasing it would be to say, “Do not pass by a person in need, for you just may be the hand of God in his life.” Now, wouldn’t it be great if we all made this a practice, a regular daily discipline throughout this new year? Small acts of kindness, random ways of doing good to others, words filled with grace and affirmation, deeds done with an eye to God’s glory. I mean, come on, you know, last year was filled with contention and division. Wouldn’t it be great if healing in our land started happening through just doing good to others when it’s in our power to help? Let me give you an example…

I remember a few years ago, during a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles, a flight attendant came down the aisle offering coffee. My friend Judy, who was flying with me, had left her seat next to me to go to the rest room. So, when the flight attendant reached our row, I asked her to pour coffee for my friend and for me. She did it with a smile, and then continued down the aisle with her tray. Judy was gone quite a while, and so, when that same flight attendant came back up the aisle, she noticed the two cups were still sitting there. So, she stopped by my seat and asked, “Would you like me to help you?” To which I replied, “Sure.” But in between sips of coffee I just had to tell her, I said, “I’ll bet you did not think this would be part of your job description when you became a flight attendant.” And I’ve never forgotten her reply. She said, “It is my pleasure. If I were you, I would want someone to do the same thing for me.”

Right there you have it. That woman decided to do good when it was in her power to help someone in need. No big deal, just pure and simple kindness. And she was right when she said that if the tables were turned, she’d want someone to do the same for her. It’s a good rule for relating to others. A golden rule, in fact. It is what Jesus tells us to do in Matthew 7:12 when he says, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” And then he adds, “For this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Like, what? Doing good in the name of God sums up the entire Law? Well, according to Jesus, it does. And it includes every situation in which you might feel a little awkward or a little unsure of what to do or say. Just relax and think, “What would I want someone to do for me?”

When Judy finally returned to her seat and saw one full cup of coffee and one empty one, she gave me a funny look. And I smiled and said to her, “I made a new friend.” And although I do not know that flight attendant’s name, I’ve never forgotten her. So, as we go deeper into 2021, make Proverbs 3:27 a habit. Let’s make things better, starting with small deeds of kindness done in Christ’s name. And start by thinking, “What would you like to have someone do for you today? Buy you a little token to say you’re being thought of? Phone to tell you you’re being prayed for?” Well, why not do those very things for someone else? You’ll be surprised about how golden your day will turn out. Thanks for joining me for Joni and Friends.

© Joni and Friends