Be Ye Kind

Robertice Hobbs
better known as Dear

This past week as I counted my blessings and enjoyed being with some of them, I was mindful of one the greatest blessings in my life. Maybe it was the chocolate pie or cooking and cleaning with her granddaughter, but my mind went several times to my husband’s wonderful grandmother.

My daughter playing on the blue
floor while Grandma Dear
cooks lunch

I had known her all my life, but for 5 years I was blessed to watch her up close and personal often from the coveted place on the chest in her kitchen. From this place I watched faith lived out in the common things of life; preparing a meal, folding the laundry, sewing or repairing a garment. The art of caring for one’s family and others was always on display at 405 East Ross in Waxahachie, Texas. Hemming a wedding dress for a grandson’s bride, making a special hot air balloon for her youngest granddaughter, sewing up a pretty pink dress for her new great granddaughter, making a favorite cake for a birthday and adding an extra piece of fried chicken for her brown eyed grandson were all acts of kindness that I witnessed. And they were not random acts of kindness, they were intentional and often.

Saturdays were for chores, mopping, vacuuming and scrubbing the bathrooms and Sundays were for rest and visiting with family. The only time this changed was when someone had an emergency or as she would say when there was “an ox in the ditch”. She understood that an act of kindness was an act of worship.

One of the first memory verses I remember learning was “Be ye kind one to another”. I memorized this when I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I watched it when I was 20 something at 405 East Ross.

This verse is found in Ephesians 4:32, “Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (NLT) “Instead” is one those words like “therefore” that insist we read what came before. Here’s what came before, get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, and all types of evil behavior. Back up a little further to verses 25 - 29 and we find more instructions; be truthful, use your hands for good hard work, give generously and then there’s this one “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (verse 29 NLT) Everything?!  Let’s back up a little further to verse 23 for some insight into how this might be possible. “let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes…”

I can honestly say that in all the time I watched Grandma Dear, I never heard her speak a harsh word or act in bitterness or anger. It was not that she had no reason to be bitter, angry or unkind. She had plenty of opportunity to choose that type of behavior. She was orphaned as a small child spending much of her childhood in an orphanage, as a teenager, she was adopted by a family to care for a blind woman, she experienced the grief of the loss of a child, knew the sorrow of sickness, knew the stress of little financial resources, experienced the death of a grandchild and more.

Ginny & Grandma Dear
in one of those dresses
she made.

In my bedroom, I have a small cane bottom chair that came from her home. It sat by the bed and each night when Dear and Papaw knelt to pray this is where he knelt. We all loved to hear him say grace at each meal we enjoyed there. Life was orderly and it included pray and bible reading each night and with every meal. Might I suggest that this allowed the Spirit to renew thoughts and attitudes! I know it did mine good each time I was there.

In Chapter 2, Paul reminds us of the source and reason for kindness. "So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us... we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Somehow I’ve managed to make life more complicated and less orderly! I pray I will do more this holiday season than enjoy the precious memories but honor them by allowing the Spirit to renew my thoughts and attitudes that I might be kind to those whom I love and those whom God places in my path. I pray I can be an example for future generations of the greatness of his kindness lived out in a life filled with goodness, remembering doing good things is often the simplest of things; a meal prepared, a dress hemmed, a birthday cake baked.

"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." (Romans 12:10-12 NLT)

Thanks for listening
See you next Sunday,
Ronda
　
From Webster:
"Kindly implies a sympathetic attitude toward others, and a willingness to do good or give pleasure. Kind implies a deep-seated characteristic shown either habitually or on occasion by considerate behavior"