Kind and Generous

Today I learned the name of the crossing guard at our middle school. I had been given a gift card to Starbucks and (after treating myself to a coffee) picked up a few Valentines cake pops to hand out to those teachers who unfortunately had carpool duty on a dreary, rainy, afternoon. As I reflected on how good it made me feel to surprise a few others with a small act of kindness, I began to think through what my Lenten offering could be.

I long to be consistently kind and generous, but without God's help, I am really neither. I like quiet, and order, and cleanliness, and peace. I like to give and make others happy, but I really don't like it when others' irresponsible behavior makes me unhappy.

I can be kind in a bubble, when no one is irritable around me, when there are no loud noises or disagreements, and no one needs anything of me. Those moments at this stage in life are few and far-between. I am asking the Lord to grow me, and make me more spirit-controlled, and less reactionary to the bazillion little fires that need to be straightened out in a day.

Although our family does not formally observe Lent, I have been thinking about what I might be able to offer Jesus in response to His sacrifice. I think he wants me to give him something that will cost me something. I love sweet things, but if I am not careful, my dietary restrictions turn more into checking the scale than checking my spirit to see if there is any progress.

My preteen quipped that she has thought about giving up exercising, but as she is no fan of exercise as it is, I tried to convince her to consider another more meaningful gift. Not giving up sugar or even cheese (as we discovered two school friends have, thus thwarting our upcoming pizza and nutella crepes sleepover menus). Something that would mean something to her.

As we drove around the city doing little random acts of kindness, it dawned on me that Jesus would have me give up fussing and nagging our kids for 40 days. He is leading me to step back from grouchiness and practice a little more kindness for a season. If I can delight in being kind to a stranger, I should eventually be able to learn how to be more kind to those I live with.

Don't get me wrong. I don't take pleasure in fuming, but I very much like order (and control). If I don't stay on top of things, lunches get left in the van, kids go to school in shorts on freezing days, and all the tennis shoes are soaked from being left out in the rain by the trampoline. Yet, I sense that there may be a better way than my constant reminders and redirections. I don't know what that way is, perhaps lessons learned through natural consequences? Perhaps some sort of written chart or checklist that can speak instead of me? We'll see what is in store.

Ash Wednesday...one day's offering.

What counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6b