The Negativity Remedyనమూనా

Day 4:  What if I’m not wired that way?  

I have a friend named Sarah who loves to cook. I, on the other hand, have made lasagna twice and both times forgot to put in the lasagna noodles. It ended up looking and tasting a lot like spaghetti sauce.

Sarah also loves to fill her house with people. Like all the time. Constant motion and activity. The more kids running around, the better. When Sarah can deliver a hot meal and watch someone else’s kids, she’s in her happy place.

That is my idea of the opposite of heaven. My home is my quiet place. It’s the place where I can put on my pajamas at any hour of the day and not worry about who sees me.

Sarah and I both believe in the power of kindness, but our acts of kindness look different. I might send a little note to a friend having a bad week, while Sarah might pick up the phone and ask them to dinner.

Sometimes we get caught up in what other people are doing. We see them volunteering at a pet shelter or working in the church nursery or making huge plates of cookies for the bake sale and we think, “That holds no interest to me and it’s definitely not my skill set. I guess I’m just not wired for kindness.”

But guess what? God didn’t create me to do what Sarah does, just like He didn’t create you to do what anyone else does! He planned out something special for each one of us. He tells us this in Ephesians.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

God not only thinks you are His masterpiece (which is another name in this verse for handiwork), He put you on this earth knowing exactly who you could help and how. 

When we are at the gas station and the cashier looks sad and weary, we can be the one to wish her a good day. When we’re out for a walk and see an elderly widower sweeping up his sidewalk, we can be the one who chats just long enough to remind him he’s not alone. When we see a mom wrangling children, we can be the one to smile and say, “You’ve got this!”

This world needs you to be you. We need your exact brand of kindness. If you are quiet, someone needs your listening ear. If you are boisterous, someone needs your laughter and energy. If you love hosting, someone needs you to invite them over for a meal or an evening of board games. If big crowds make you cringe, someone needs your encouraging letter or phone call. 

If you’re concerned about finding the right act of kindness to do, let me put your mind at ease. Go ahead and throw away the kindness calendar that gives you an assignment for each day of the week. Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to take you on an adventure. Ask Him to open your eyes to see who needs you today. Tell Him you are willing to be His vessel of love for other people. Kindness isn’t a to-do list; it’s a posture of willingness to love others as God leads you.

God has already mapped out your purpose in this world. He’s just waiting for you to say yes.