Kindness....a gift.

So you know we've had this little bump in the road, that sort of threw us for a mini-loop. I've been so impressed with the kindness and attentiveness and willingness, of others,  to help us in any way.  Pure kindness.  You can't purchase kindness.  You can't really ask someone to be kind to you.  Kindness is charity, the pure love of Christ, given freely in a gentle caring form.  When you are bestowed with kindness it takes all sorts of shapes and forms.  Kindness is wonderful. Kindness truly is a gift.

We've received lots of kindnesses these last couple of days.  Words of kindness.  Calls of kindness.  Prayers of kindness.  Acts of kindness.  Deeds of kindness.  Email kindness.

Someone coming in and placing jello on the counter for us to find.  Soup delivered.  Cookies brought in.  Offering meals. Gentle deeds that were kindness personified.

We are doing fine now.  It's past.  Yes, we are tired but we are up and living our life but the remembrance of caring people continues to buoy us.  Not only with the feelings of gratitude but actually amazement that people would be willing to reach out.  It inspires us to improve in our own charity.... to act, on even the smallest inclination or prompting, to be kind.

Thursday I got a call from Melissa.  She was in charge of the RS Quarterly Social on Tuesday.  Calling to see if we were okay.  Calling to see if she could help.  Calling to see if we needed anything.

Here is what was amazing to me.  Melissa is young and she has a young family of 5 children.  On Tuesday she handled the RS Social, went home, found teen daughter in pain, ended up taking her for emergency surgery for appendicitis, stayed up all night.  Then gets home and calls to see if we are okay!

The thing is we have a whole raft of these women.  Grandma's and Aunts and Moms, all are stalwarts in the Gospel and reach out in kindness at every turn.  Our Ward is just blessed beyond measure, with the kindness factor, that is always in attendance.  I really don't know how they do all that they do and still reach out to help beyond taking care of their own home responsibilities.  They are marvelous and I love all of them!  Young and the not so young!  We have the Gospel in action with our RS sisters.

I just want to share a part of a favorite talk that means a lot to me.  It's from May 2005 Ensign by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin....

The Virtue of Kindness

The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things, or have perfect thoughts, or have perfect feelings. The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement, support, and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father.

Each one of us will travel a different road during this life. Each progresses at a different rate. Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all. Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another.

Never look down on those who are less perfect than you. Don’t be upset because someone can’t sew as well as you, can’t throw as well as you, can’t row or hoe as well as you.

We are all children of our Heavenly Father. And we are here with the same purpose: to learn to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask, “How well am I doing in helping others reach their potential? Do I support others in the Church, or do I criticize them?”