Despite signing up with the Do Not Call Registry, we regularly hear from telemarketers. I’ve read suggestions on how to let them know how unwelcome their intrusion is. However, I figure they’re doing a crummy job for lousy pay. So I hear them out and then say, “No thank you.”
My husband shows similar courtesy to other drivers on Hilo’s increasingly busy streets. He always yields to the driver waiting to turn left, trying to exit a driveway or attempting to merge. He also offers rides to tourists caught in the rain. He hasn’t brought about world peace, but he has made a small stretch of road a little happier.
We both benefited from my grandmother’s kindness. I was the first in my family to marry outside my race. Soon after, we all gathered to celebrate my grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary. Gramma told all the family about a novel she’d read whose hero was named Choi. In this small way, she declared her support for our marriage.
My father said a childhood friend once told him, “Your parents are the best missionaries I know.” Gramma didn’t bring the Gospel to primitive tribes or translate the Bible into a new language. She just did small acts of kindness every day for 107 years.
Still, small acts of kindness are generally all that’s needed. Few of us (thank God) experience more than a couple catastrophes in our life. However, we all face daily challenges. The washing machine breaks down. A disturbed person harasses us. It’s late, and our teenager isn’t home.
The small kindnesses we receive help us cope. Our neighbor offers the use of her washer. A store owner waves us inside until the scary guy moved on. A sympathetic police officer assures us that 99 percent of the time, the missing teen is fine. Their understanding and support keep our problems from turning into crises.
The small kindnesses we give are equally important. When I consider my sins of omission, I’m troubled that so often it didn’t even occur to me to help. How could I be so self-absorbed? Happily, kind actions can become good habits. We help one elderly lady load groceries into her car, and pretty soon we’re regularly looking out for other folks in difficulty.
Evangelist Keith Miller tells the story of a businessman who commuted to work. One evening, he was rushing to catch his train and didn’t notice a little boy on the platform holding a box. His briefcase brushed against the box. The lid fell off, and jigsaw pieces flew everywhere. As the train pulled away, the man put down his briefcase and began picking up the pieces. When all the pieces were back in the box, he handed it to the boy with a smile. The boy asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?” For that moment, the answer was, “Yes.”
Jesus’ first miracle was an act of kindness. He was at a wedding reception, and the wine was running out. Mary called this to Jesus’ attention. I imagine she spent her life noticing who needed a little help. Her son had watched and learned from her example. So she was confident that he’d help here. His action wasn’t as dramatic and noticeable as later miracles, but his kindness spared the host social embarrassment.
We’re not likely to work any dramatic miracles either. However, we can help clean up after the wedding, give the overly indulged a ride home or bring some cake to the baby sitter. We can make today a little easier for someone else. When we do, the answer is, yes, we are Jesus.
Kathleen welcomes comments. Send them to Kathleen Choi, 1706 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720, or e-mail: kathchoi@hawaii.rr.com.
