LIFE RIGHT NOW ◽ YOU
Thoughtless. Inconsiderate. Rude. Maybe it’s the random lady playing loud videos in the waiting room. Or the guy who didn’t offer the obligatory two second wave acknowledging that we let his car slide in front of our vehicle on the busy highway. Or it’s the “friend” who always finds a way to cut us out of the conversation. Sometimes people are unkind for absolutely no reason.
And it hurts. We’re left feeling annoyed. Irritated. Outraged that people seem to have forgotten the golden rule to “treat others as one would like others to treat them.” When people omit common courtesy from our everyday interactions, we may want to match their negative energy with hurtful words.
But, we can’t. God expects more from us.
A few years ago, a women’s group I’m in had an inspiring guest speaker. This lady spreads kindness every single day. She created a little free library and a kindness rock garden in memory of her daughter. The idea behind the kindness rock garden is to create a community of kindness by providing a space for people to take rocks to
keep or hide somewhere else and to leave rocks for others to discover. Not just any rocks, but rocks painted with positive words, pictures, or verses. The kind of colorful, hopeful, uplifting words that can brighten somebody’s day.
After a particularly tough day of absorbing too many inconsiderate and callous behaviors, I decided it was time to quit simmering in frustration. It was time to shift feelings of indignation into something good. It was time for our very own kindness rock garden! Painting rocks with encouraging words and verses is a win-win. It’s not only good for the soul, it’s fostering positivity for the kids and adults who find a special rock scattered on the ground. There’s already been so much goodness in the weeks since this unassuming corner of our yard transformed into a rock laden patch. Kids have been spotted leaving their own painted rocks. Evening walkers have picked up rocks to carry home. One time a van stopped at the corner to allow the passenger to quickly grab a rock.
Spreading kindness is the best way to combat hatefulness. So, let’s grab some rocks & paint pens and squash the world’s negativity with rocks of kindness. Because, kindness rocks!
“Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
Proverbs 16:24