A little bit of kindness goes far
OUR CHURCH SERVICES are usually rather formal. People come dressed in their best clothing and quietly sit still in the pews.
But last Friday was an exception. I witnessed a simple, kind gesture that resembled what a kindergarten teacher would do for her student, or a mother for a young child, or a sister for a little brother.
We have a small group of young men who bring bread and water to the congregation. They vary in ages from 12 to 14. They usually dress in white shirts and look clean and tidy so as not to draw undue attention to themselves. They each take a tray of bread or water to the members seated in the pews. The normally restless, rambunctious boys exert great effort to be serious, respectful, and orderly during their part of the service.
When one of the young men approached our seats on the front row, the young woman next to me saw that something was wrong. His shoe was untied, and it appeared that he didn’t know. He presented the tray of water to the four of us on the front row, first holding it out to us, and then waiting for us to take it.
Who knows how many members of the congregation saw his untied shoe? But how many helped? Only one.
Tessa, the young woman next to me, quickly bent over and quietly tied his shoe. He peeked over a half-smile and moved on. When I asked her about it after the meeting, she said, “I just saw how easily he could have tripped, so I helped him.” Yes, at the peril of calling undue attention to herself and possible embarrassment to him, she just simply tied his shoe.
I felt a mixture of shame and joy: shame that I didn’t help him myself, but joy that I sat next to her and saw her tie his shoe. Joy that such a small gesture – taking only five seconds – summoned time to stand still.
I pictured something great, even grander than that moment in time. I felt some of her goodness rippling away from her hands and seeping into mine. I felt her joy inspiring me to be the first one to jump in and help next time. Maybe the young man will do the same for someone else some day too. Maybe he also felt it. The timelessness of kindness.
Such a simple act would make any parent pleased. I know I was.
After all, Tessa is my daughter.