The Kindness of Strangers

Never tire of loyalty and kindness. Hold these virtues tightly. Write them deep within your heart.                                                                                                                                   Proverbs 3:3 (Living Bible)

I’m sure you have done it, or you have been on the receiving end of it. You are at a restaurant, and when it is time for the check, the waitress says, “Your meal has been covered by someone who wishes to remain anonymous. Enjoy the rest of your evening!”

We have enjoyed blessing people that way in the past, and recently, while on vacation, in Mackinaw City Michigan, we were so blessed by a total stranger.  Our suspicion is that it was the woman in a wheelchair who my wife assisted into the restaurant. The woman had struggled at the door, and when my wife saw that, she sprang up to help her.

It was a small gesture, but it seemed to have been very impactful to that woman. She wanted to express her appreciation, and she wanted to do it anonymously.    

It made me think of how gestures of kindness, however small, may be very impactful to others. The kindness of strangers is one of the great joys we can experience, and often it is so easy to do. You never know what the impact will be.

Prayer: Lord, help us to remember that little gestures, performed out of love for others, can change everything, Amen