Thursday, July 12, 2012

That's some kind of kindness


I've been hanging out in Sunday School a bit lately, most probably because at 49 years of age I'm still not very mature so kicking back with the kids suits me well. We've been using a pretty cool curriculum called "Agents in Action" which comes with its own CD of songs. That's good, my repertoire needed a bit of upgrading. One of the songs has been stuck in my head this week, kind of like an ear worm. At the risk of stepping on copyright restrictions, I'll just let a few words slip out:
Jesus love me and I love Him
I talk to Him every day
I want to be kind like Him
Jesus show me the way.
I can show the kind of kindness He shows to me...
and at some point there are a few la la las in an octave I can't quite reach without standing on tippy toes.


It's a sweet song with quite a catchy tune.
I can show the kind of love that He gave to me...

Ummm...I can? It's one thing to sing a song because it sounds pretty but the thought hit me:
For me to show kindness, means I have to actually GIVE something out. Isn't it enough to just say please and thank you when I buy my chocolate at the supermarket?  Darn, don't you just love it when God throws a little challenge at you out of the blue. I was quite happy singing my little ditty until the words popped into my head: "Can you? Can you really show the kindness that Jesus has shown you?"
Ouch!
Well, I'm kind to animals...does that count?
I share my bed with a husband and 2 dogs - the cat is no longer allowed following a 1am altercation with the dog
Even being kind to other people doesn't guarantee that it will work out every time:
Okay, technically this is a cartoon about chickens but if your leg was on fire, I would tell you
Still, that song is stuck in my head. When I think of Jesus and His kindness, I wonder how on earth I'd ever be able to come even remotely close to following His example. I guess that's just part of the difference between the perfect Lamb of God and this piddly little human with the eccentric personality and a penchant for fancy dress costumes. His kindness went way beyond the call of duty.
 
Perhaps God might just be asking me to show a little kindness. What I think I'll do is remember the words: "Jesus, show me the way." It's quite nice that He doesn't expect us to do all the hard stuff on our own.

I knew there was a reason I liked this Glen Campbell clip: