Kindess and a chocolate milkshake

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I have had a song stuck in my head the past few days and the fun thing about it is that it is a song a friend wrote! The end of her song lists the fruits of the spirit and says, "These are the things that will define our family." Those lines have been playing in my head.

I've been meditating a little on some of those fruits of the Spirit that aren't talked about much- like kindness and gentleness- and thinking about how they define my family (being Aaron and I) or even define myself. What defines me? On the whole, I'd like to say, "My faith in Christ," but sometimes that can seem abstract. But the fruits of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control- those are so tangible it seems. And although they are each similar, they are each different in their own way.

Kindness. I experienced that in such a simple beautiful way today. I was a little down at school today. Actually, quite discouraged. I have 11 kids in my special education class and that is really too many kids for 1 special ed classroom. I have been very overwhelmed trying to meet each of their needs and arrange the schedule and all my assistants. Today when all the kids went to recess, the physical therapist came in for a little while. We were talking about the students and I just started to share some of my discouragement with her. I even teared up a little which surprised me because I haven't had many conversations like that with her.

Later during lunch she came over and set a chocolate milkshake from Dairy Queen down in front of me and said, "Sometimes chocolate makes a bad day better." I was shocked. Truly. And all I could think was- that is kindness.

Kindness is an act that is different to me than love or graciousness. She didn't get me the milkshake because she loved me. She didn't get me to milkshake to show me grace because I'd messed up. She got me the milkshake to show kindness.

I think kindness is underrated. It's not talked about. It's too close to "nice" which can mean anything and everything like "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Nice and kind are different. Nice is seems superficial sometimes, but kindness comes from the heart. Kindness is a simple gesture or act. It's a verb or adjective. Not like love where love is the verb- I love you. You can't "kind" someone, but you can show kindness. I love that.

I'm so thankful that I have a kind God. I'm so thankful that he showed me his kindness through our physical therapist. I pray kindness is one of many good things that define me.

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