Kindness: The Magic Penny

"But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people." Galatians 5:22

A couple of weeks ago I went into the supermarket to grab a couple of things, I was in a rush. While I was in the Caribbean section,  I overheard a lady asking  a worker  about  the different types of coconut milk…..the worker wasn’t any help….
a voice spoke to me and said "You are pretty knowledgeable about it , why not take a minute to explain it to her?" to which I quickly responded "I am late, I don’t have the time."
 "What if it was you?" Suffice it to say I ended up losing that debate----I  walked up to the lady and explained the differences between the 3 types of coconut milk ( cream,powder and liquid), and I also found out what she wanted the coconut milk for and recommend the best one for the recipe.
 It took a bit of time, but I left the supermarket with a spring in my step and a smile on my face.

 Last week on my way home from an event, I decide to stop by the supermarket to grab some fruits. As I was taking my own sweet time strolling (enjoying my walk),  I heard a female voice say “You need to hurry, the supermarket is closing in 8 minutes.” I thought, "how does she know that I'm going to the supermarket; I could be going to any store in the mall?"….but I replied “I thought it closes at 9pm.” “On Sundays it closes at 8, but if you hurry you will make it before they stop letting people in.” “Thank you very much,” I said as I start running. “I hope you make it on time and thanks for your help the other day,” the lady shouted. That stopped me in my track; I turned to see the lady waving and realize she was the same lady I helped with the coconut milk.

This bring to mind a little song I used to sing each morning in primary school; 'The magic penny.' It goes (Jamaican version): 'Love (insert kindness) is something if you give it away, it will come right back to you. It's (kindness) just like a magic penny, put it in your pocket and you won't have any. But if you spend it or give it away, it will come right back to you.' The small act of kindness I showed ended up coming back to me. The kinder we are (it doesn’t matter how small)… the more like Christ we become.  When we put self aside, room is make for the Holy Spirit to work upon our hearts; kindness will spring forth from us.

When was the last time you spent or given away your magic penny (kindness)? Remember, if you  hold it tight or put it in your pocket, you won't have any. Little deeds of kindness,will cheer and gladden the pathway of life.

Kem


Picture Story:
I actually wrote this post a long time ago, but I had so much trouble finding a picture to go with it. (All of us at Live Profoundly have a rule that we only use our own pictures for our posts)...so I told Nina about my post and we sat down at church one day and went through hundreds of pictures on her laptop. This picture was taken when they went to African Lion Safari. For those who have never heard of it, it's a wild life park that allows you to drive through and there are real animals walking around, with no cages. It's like the safari experience! Some of the animals (especially the monkeys) like to come right up to the car and it gives you an up-close-and-personal experience!