“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” — Philippians 2:14
A few weeks ago, my wife had a great idea. As an end of the year “thank you” gift, she baked a plate of cookies for our older son’s school bus driver. She sent the cookies with Kael and Aiden in the morning. Later that afternoon, they came home with a note from their bus driver:
“Mrs. Whitney, thank you for the cookies, yum! And even more for how you have raised your sons. Kael and Aiden have impeccable manners – the best of all my schools and 150 kids. This is a reflection of great parenting!”
A little surprised by such a positive note, Krista asked Aiden how they had demonstrated “impeccable manners.” He said, “Well, we say “hi” and “thank you” most days.” Impeccable manners for “hi” and “thank you”? The bar is low.
This incident reminded me of these verses in Philippians. Apparently, most of the students don’t say “hi” or “thank you”. Even though it is a small thing, it communicates care. Likewise, Krista’s idea of a plate of cookies was her thoughtful way of telling the bus driver she appreciated her service as well.
Shine Like Stars
Church, let’s shine like stars in this warped and crooked generation! How do we do that? By saying “hi” and “thank you”. In other words, look for opportunities to love and serve the people around you and tell them about Jesus!
Our little acts of regular kindness (done faithfully for the Lord) shine light into the lives of the people around us. Who do you love, serve and show kindness to? Even though we often won’t get a note showing us the impact of our acts and words, the Lord sees.
Looking for opportunities to shine,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor