A Matter of Faith...

By Carol Round

IT’S MORE THAN ETIQUETTE

“Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." ACTS 14:17 (NIV)

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”

These words on a bumper sticker caught my attention recently. I delight in stickers that have something positive to say because they speak loudly about the vehicle owner.

Is kindness in short supply these days? I guess it depends on where you live. I was reminded of this when a girl in her late teens held the door open for me as I was leaving a doctor’s office recently. She not only stepped back to allow me to exit first but she told me “to have a good afternoon.”

Holding open the door for another person, regardless of his or her age or gender, is a common courtesy. Yet many adults don’t practice this kindness.

So what’s our excuse for not showing others the kindness they deserve? Are we too busy? Too filled with our own self-importance that we can’t see another human being in need? Too afraid to reach out to a stranger?

A recent article about modern manners in an area newspaper caught my attention for two reasons. I find human behavior fascinating, and a friend of mine who teaches etiquette classes, was interviewed for the story.

The first time I met Jana and had lunch with her, I was afraid of committing a dining faux pas. I was glad we were eating at a sandwich shop where I didn’t have to worry about which fork to use.

After we became friends, I told her how I had squirmed through that first meeting, hoping that she wasn’t grading me on my table manners. She laughed and said, “I would never do that.”

Since Jana and I are both country girls, I figured that drying my hands on my jeans was acceptable after we became friends—at least in some social settings. What is not acceptable to God, however, is our lack of kindness to others.

Although my friend teaches social and business protocol, including when it is appropriate to open doors for female co-workers, she says, “It’s okay to open doors for others, too. Kindness is kindness, no matter what the setting.”

However, it’s not just about opening doors for others. Kind gestures require us to be aware of others around us who need kind words of encouragement. As Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

Opportunities present themselves each day for us to show we care. Smiling at a stranger is another way. When you acknowledge another human being, you are saying, “I think you are important.”

As the Lord has rained down his goodness on us, let us extend that hand to others.

Is your hand clenched in selfishness or is it reaching out to others? You can’t open the door of kindness if your heart is locked.


Carol Round, a former Jay High School journalism teacher, now resides in Claremore, Oklahoma. Readers can reach her at carolaround@yahoo.com.