There is an old saying ‘If you step on people in this life, you’ll comeback as a cockroach.’ Of course I don’t believe in reincarnation but there is a certain truth to that statement. If you smile, and are kind, and treat others that way that is often the way they are going to treat you. In fact, one of the first things I do when I get out of bed in the morning is walk over to the mirror and give myself a big fat deliberate smile. Not only does it make it easier for me to smile at others throughout the day, but I hope it makes it easier for others to be kind to me.
One of my favorite words in the Bible is “Lovingkindness.” Psalms 36:7 says “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.” I have learned that when people experience the lovingkindness of God it causes them to want to trust Him more. I have also learned that when I practice lovingkindness toward others it helps them trust in me.
It’s kind of like the young boy who found a turtle and began to examine it. The turtle immediately pulled in its head and closed its shell like a vice. When the boy picked up something and tried to pry it open, his uncle who was watching said: “If you do that you will not get it open and you may kill it in the process.” The uncle then took the turtle into the house and set it on the hearth in front of the fire place. Within a few minutes the turtle began to get warm, pushed out its head and feet, and began crawling. The uncle explained: “Turtles are like people, you cannot force them into anything, but if you first warm them up with some real kindness, more than likely they will do what you want them to do.”
Kindness has an incredible power to change people, including ourselves. In fact did you know you will sleep better at night when you are kind to people during the day? It is a proven scientific fact that when we are kind to others it stabilizes our blood pressure, gives us a better appetite and helps us to sleep at night. Psalms 42:8 says “Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.” If you are struggling with some physical ailment, some type of insomnia, try some lovingkindness therapy.
Why not give this a try! Treat everybody you meet today as if you knew they were going to be dead by midnight. What would you say to them? “Remember that time when you scratched my car?” Would you be critical to them? No! You would probably treat them pretty nice wouldn’t you? Then try the same thing again tomorrow, the next day and the next day. Treat people like that and it will change their lives, and it will change your life.
Wouldn’t it be something if we could put Ponoka on the map as being a town especially known for its kind people? Let’s continue in God’s lovingkindness. Let it be on our faces, let it be in our hands, let it be in our words. Remember, ‘What goes around comes around.’