One Act of Kindness…….
I’ve been very forthcoming about my current circumstances and the challenges I now face. Since the beginning of this year I lost my home, a very important person in my life passed away, no longer have a vehicle, my once good credit has been severely tarnished, my once close-knit family (my children) has been challenged in all areas, my grandbaby and daughter suddenly moved out, some relationships were lost, am battling some health issues and am now homeless. Some would say that’s a lot to have to deal with, and I must confess that I’d be amongst that group.
Yes, my faith in God has certainly been tried and tested repeatedly; however all of my hope, confidence and trust is in God. Nevertheless, though that is the case, I’ve had to occasionally battle with deep depression and despair. Before I proceed, let’s go ahead and dispel the idea that real Christians don’t go through moments of depression because we do! You can be saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost filled and living a consecrated lifestyle and STILL have moments of depression. If you need a Bible reference read Psalm 42 or read about the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah. Go to I Kings 19:3 and read about the prophet Elijah who prayed death upon himself because he thought he was the last of God’s prophets and now Jezebel threatens to take his life. Because of his circumstance he prayed to die! Have you ever been there before? Have you ever been in such a low place in your life that you wished or even prayed that God would let you die? Or have you contemplated killing yourself? I have certainly been there before as recent as last week. I was filled with great despair, feeling like a worthless failure; thinking death would be the better alternative. And of course the devil was egging me on. He began reminding me how much I DIDN’T have. It got so bad that I began to question God’s provision and promises. “Where are the saints, Lord? Are we only talkers of love and not doers? Where are those who do more than give the standard reply ‘I’ll keep you in my prayers’?”
I realize how bad all of this sounds but it’s all real, and real is what God (and I) wants me to be. Unfortunately we see a Christian and expect them to float around on the glory cloud on Blessings Boulevard. We make the mistake of thinking that their hardship is a direct result of sin or being a hypocrite. Don’t get me wrong, there are some who are just that, BUT I am a saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost filled, Bible reading, believing and living, tongue speaking, woman of faith who is totally sold out to Christ; AND I represent others like myself. We ALL have low moments. I was certainly there last week, being surrounded by despair and darkness until an act of kindness broke through the darkness with a ray of light. A sister in Christ went out of her way to come check on me and then offered to lend me her car so that I could more easily move around to take care of business. In VA a car is not a luxury but a necessity! In addition, with exception to purchasing/investing in a business or purchasing a home, a car is one of the most expensive items we own. And here she was offering it to me? I was completely flabbergasted by her generosity. No one had ever extended such selfless kindness to me including my own family! I was humbled. Then I had to repent and pray for God’s forgiveness; for I was so consumed by my problem that I failed to see the solutions that He had sent my way. Not only did He bless me through this sister, but also through others. My church family came to my aid in a major way and I know this is nothing short of God. His love for me was demonstrated through the actions, sacrifices and obedience of the saints as well as others He’s put in my path at this time. I mentioned in the previous paragraph that I asked God where are the saints. Where are the doers of the Word and not simply speakers of it? The answer I got? They were right here, in word and in deed. They prayed me through and didn’t just stop there. They demonstrated their love for Christ by ministering to my spirit and helping with my tangible needs. To God be all the glory!
I’ve shared all of that to say this: Don’t ever discount acts of kindness; for your very act may save someone’s life. It doesn’t have to be large like a vehicle, it can be small or large, whichever God lays on your heart, and more often than that, that thing that seems so small to you may make all the difference in the world to the person on the receiving end. Your seemingly small sacrifice could very well lead someone to Christ or like in my case, encourage a saint and help restore a saint’s hope and trust in God.
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