“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32

I was born and raised on a farm, the youngest of five children, by parents who taught us Christian values of “love and kindness” and hard work.  We learned life long lessons on how to survive with very little money.   In 1945, my father was injured in a farm accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down.  My mother lovingly cared for  him at home until he passed away in 1946, one week after my graduation from high school.  Her strong faith, God's love, and the kindness of  neighbors, sustained our family through those difficult times.

When I started school at Morton Corner, I soon realized that showing “love and kindness” was important there, too.  We were taught the Golden Rule  (Matthew 7: 12).   A girl in our one-room country school was not “mean”, but she was not taught cleanliness at home.   I was always nice to her and asked her to 'play at recess', as many of the other girls would not include her.  Many years later, I saw her at the Pierce County Fair with her family, and we visited.  She told me that because I was so kind to her back then, she named one of her daughters, Shirley Ann, after me.  That touched my heart and made me mindful of how good it is to show kindness toward others, just as Jesus did.

Years have passed since those Morton Corner days.  There have been many blessings in my life, and some sad times.  Losing two husbands was very difficult,  but I am grateful for wonderful church friends at Bethel who reached out in Christian love and helped me through the struggles.  I hope that I have done the same for them.  Even though I am in the end chapter of my life,  it is never too late to show Christ's “love and kindness” to others...you never know how it may change someone's life!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, help us to always reach out to those around us with loving kindness.  We pray for Your presence in our lives with a thankful heart.  Amen.