Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Be Kind to One Another
Due to being in the month of February, I am continuing on the topic of love. Mainly focusing on the love of God and how we can reflect that to those around us.
One of our dogs is prone to itchy ears. We have drops that we put in his ears at times. However, several weeks ago, we were running low. The vet is forty-five minutes away, and it was nearly five o’clock on the day before Christmas Eve. So our only hope was that the vet would be open the following day. I called the vet to see what their Christmas Eve hours would be. And I also wanted to make sure we could pick up these drops. Our dog wasn’t due for a check up yet, so I thought it should be fine.
I called and a young lady answered. Before putting me on hold, she said she wanted to ask the doctor about it first. Hold music … hold music … hold music. After listening to the hold music for a few minutes, the phone was disconnected. So I called back. This time a young man answered. I explained to him that a young lady had put me on hold and that I got disconnected. He too said he wanted to ask the veterinarian about the ear drops, and he put me on hold. Then pretty much the same thing happened. Hold music … hold music … hold music. Then I was disconnected again. I was now under the assumption that after being on hold for a certain length of time, their system automatically hangs up the line. So I called back a third time. Talked to the same young man. Hold music … hold music … hold music. Disconnected again. I called back a fourth time. The same young man said that he was about to pick up the line when it hung up. He told me I could come in to get the medicine. I thanked him for his help. Then click. The guy hung up on me! No “you’re welcome” and no “good-bye.” So I called back a fifth time. Luckily, it was the same boy that hung up on me. I said in the nicest voice I could muster, “Oh we must’ve gotten disconnected again before we were able to say good-bye. I just wanted to make sure I thanked you for your help.” Yup, I really did that! He kind of stammered a little bit and we ended the conversation peacefully.
I have to be honest though, getting hung up on hurt my feelings. He shouldn’t have hung up on me for so many reasons. (1) I was a customer. (2) He knew the phone system had already disconnected me several times. (3) I didn’t do anything wrong or rude to deserve it. (4) It was Christmas!! Those are just a few reasons why it was wrong. I am sure there are more.
But this made me think about how, as Christians, we should spread the love of God to those around us. And one way we can do that is to be kind. We are showing others the grace and love and mercy of God, through our kindness.
And kindness helps us to feel better. I know when I have been short with someone, I walk away feeling badly. But when I am kind, even if they don’t deserve it, it makes me feel lighter.
When we are kind to others, it stands out in this angry world we live in. I can tell you that this is true from my own experience. There have been numerous occasions when my husband and I have been greeted by an exceptionally pleasant person at the drive-thru (or wherever). And when we part ways, we mention to each other how nice the person was, and how nice it was to deal with them. It doesn’t take a lot to treat others the way Jesus would want us to. When we do, this helps the other people to see a tiny piece of the Lord’s love. Could it be that we might be the only piece of Jesus that some will see? Keeping this thought in mind will help us to be kind more often.
When we are kind, we also remember how kind the Lord has been to us. We don’t deserve His kindness, yet He freely gives it to us. Every day.
I pray that we can keep in mind how kind God has been to us. And I pray we can learn to spread that kindness to those around us, as we reflect the love of the Lord.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32 ESV
© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas
Bridget A. Thomas 
Bridget, you did not allow what transpired to affect your opportunity to be kind. You have inspired me to check myself before I allow irritation to lead my words.
Even though we know that we are to reflect Christ in all situations, we might not always do that. Good on you my friend for doing that.
Very encouraging and so very true that when someone is kind to us we leave with such a positive feeling after interacting with them. I hope we always remember that and do the same.
Blessings my friend 🤗💙
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I admit, it can be difficult to be kind when someone is rude to us. But when we are, we walk away feeling better. I pray we can shine with the kindness of Jesus to those around us! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Blessings, my friend! 🌟💜🤗
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Wonderful reminder to be kind even when others don’t deserve it. We don’t deserve the love that Jesus gives us but he doesn’t hold back that kindness. You’re right, it does feel good to be kind when someone hasn’t deserved it because God cares more about how we react to others failures. It feels good to please God. What child doesn’t want to please their parent? We too want to please our Father God. Blessing Bridget. I’m sorry that happened to you. ❤🌺
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Such a good point about us wanting to please. I hadn’t thought about it, but I bet that does play into why it feels good to be kind. Like the Holy Spirit has given us a hug for doing the right thing. Thanks so much for sharing your insight. Blessings to you too, my wannabe neighbor! 😁♥️
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Hello sis in Christ. I hope these years have been a blessing unto you. I appreciate your transparency in the post. We must remember that we cannot FORCE LOVE or KINDNESS. You explained that you were frustrated and had to call back 5 times. 5 represents GRACE. The people on the other end did not know how the frustration hurt you. Taking a deep breath and saying a quick prayer, helps us to do things in His Spirit and not our emotions. I hope that God continues to show all of us grace and help us to grow in the Fruit of the Spirit towards others. Love you in Christ. Iron sharpens Iron.
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Holding onto the Holy Spirit helps us to be kind and loving in His strength. I am so thankful for the supernatural power He gifts us.
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Bad customer service really irritates me, especially when it’s so easy to give good customer service! But your story is a great reminder that as Christians we are called to be kind and gracious, never knowing the ripple effect it will have!
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You make an excellent point about how our kindness can cause a ripple effect. One smile or kind word can lift someone’s spirits and in turn help them to smile and be kind as well. Thanks so much for pointing that out! 🤗
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I like the way you handled it.
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This is such a great post, on many levels, Bridget! For one thing, you point out that not everyone should receive our mercy, but we should give it anyway. After all, we are not without faults. Just ask God. Blessings!
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It seems like these days more and more people are forgetting their manners. It’s so sad and frustrating! Not too long ago we stopped at a McDonald’s near our house and the young man at the window never spoke to us. He handed us our food and slammed the window. I’m left thinking #1: where are your manners? And #2: you expect to get paid $15 an hour???
By the way, I love the way you handled the situation!! That was pretty awesome!
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Oh that is so sad about the McDonald’s visit. It’s ironic that companies want business, yet treat their customers terribly. That is one of the reasons why I like chic-fil-a. The staff is always so friendly there. I wish all companies were like that.
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You are so right Bridget: “When I have been short with someone, I walk away feeling badly. But when I am kind, even if they don’t deserve it, it makes me feel lighter.” I’ve experienced the same–it must be universal! It would seem God gives us that gift of a light spirit when we dispense kindness–especially when undeserved. That’s a little nugget of truth I want to keep in mind for future reference. Thank you, Bridget!
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I am reminded of Ephesians 4 where we are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit. It makes me wonder if in our unkindness we grieve the Holy Spirit and if in our kindness we please Him. Thank you for reading and sharing your insight.
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I’m sure you’re right, Bridget, based on 1 Chronicles 29:17: “I know, my God that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity” (NIV)!
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You truly persevered and showed kindness, something that is much needed in the world. The simplest gestures can make a big difference. May God help us to show kindness, especially when it’s hard. Thanks Bridget! ❤️
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I agree! Simple gestures can make a big difference. I pray we can keep that in mind when we are faced with opportunities to show kindness. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts. ♥️
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Maybe it’s this age of cell phones that our kids sometimes lack basic phone etiquette? This post reminds me of what Nick Carraway says at the beginning of The Great Gatsby: “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’”
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A good point about the phone etiquette. I hadn’t thought of that! And a lovely quote. Thanks for sharing that! May we learn to treat others with kindness, keeping in mind that they come from different backgrounds or perhaps might be going through a difficulty. There are so many things in life that shape us, and thus also mold our interactions with others. ♥️
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After almost 21 years of teaching teenagers, I’m still learning the lesson of not taking things personally.
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Isn’t it amazing how such a small thing can make such a big difference? Now that the masks are finally coming off in most places, I’m rediscovering what a blessing it is to see a human smile. – also a small thing that makes a huge difference.
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So true!
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