Teaching Kids GratitudeSample

Loving Those You’ll Never Meet

“Mom, I need something sweet. Do we have anything?”

My daughter’s pajama-clad, whirlwind entrance into the kitchen had me pausing from unloading the dishwasher as she frantically pawed through our snack drawer.

“Um. It’s 7:15 a.m. on a school morning. What’s going on?” My voice revealed my skepticism over what could require sugar this early in the day.

“Mom today is Chloe’s birthday, and she’s having a terrible week! I need something sweet to bring her as a present.”

My initial annoyance faded as I absorbed the weight of her words, and soon we were both digging through the snack drawer. Tucked in the back corner, we simultaneously spied an unopened package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups originally intended for milkshakes. After checking the expiration date, I offered them to Lizzie. “Do you think she’d like these?”

“Oh, perfect! Thanks, Mom. She’ll love this!” A quick hug, and my daughter was running back up the stairs, clutching her present as she raced to get ready for school.

I’ve never met Lizzie’s classmate, and while I knew her a bit through stories shared over the years, I could have walked past her on a sidewalk without recognition. I thought about this young woman off and on as I went about my own day, praying over some of the details Lizzie had shared as we drove to school and grateful that I got to be a small part of Lizzie’s plan to brighten Chloe’s day.

That’s the beautiful thing about being in community with others who know and love Jesus—we get to touch the lives of people we’ll never meet by partnering with those who know them. Lizzie’s presence in her school, in her classrooms, and in her after-school activities, puts her in community with people I’ll likely never meet. And yet, through Lizzie, I can provide support in several ways—whether it be something physical like providing the birthday treat or something less tangible like listening to Lizzie and helping her discern what she might say or do to help someone else.

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

How can you be the silent partner in loving someone you’ll never meet? Watch for opportunities as you go through your day.