My husband and I were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Florida recently to stay with friends for a week.We both agreed opening your home to someone for that length of time is a definite act of kindness, which certainly got me thinking.

While I love to travel, I am not a huge fan of crowds, especially in tight quarters such as airplanes. People can be selfish and rude in those situations, which can often bring out the worst in me too. One of the things I still struggle with daily is being judgmental of others.  When I witness people behaving badly, I tend to think the worst of them instead of practicing grace.

I need to constantly remind myself  I am not privy to the intimate details of others lives and should not make assumptions about why they behave the way they do.  When I look back at my former self, I realize others could have judged me harshly too because my introversion may have caused me to appear self-absorbed. When I met my husband, I was frequently surprised by how often he would wait to hold a door or offer help to someone in need. It wasn’t that I was opposed to doing those things, I was just less likely to notice because I was reluctant to interact with strangers.

Now that I am growing in my faith, I am more likely to look for opportunities to serve because I am more aware that kindness costs nothing and can make an incredible difference.  

For example, on our flight down to Florida, we were seated in the second row across the aisle from a mom traveling alone with her two young boys. I imagine this could produce a bit of anxiety in almost anyone. Unfortunately, we were delayed almost an hour in our takeoff because they were de-icing the plane and then announced they were closing the runway so the plows could clean it up. This could have easily led to boredom and frustration for the kids and if I was their mom, would have caused my anxiety to escalate exponentially. I couldn’t help but notice that the flight attendants went out of their way to talk to the family and gave the boys a bit of leeway as far as being buckled in their seats since the plane wasn’t moving. At the end of the flight, the pilot also invited the kids into the cockpit while we waited to deplane. In our post-9-11 society, where security is a constant concern, this gesture went above and beyond what is now considered normal in my opinion. It was an act of kindness which warmed my heart.  

Conversely, on our return flight, my husband was seated next to a woman who was traveling with her mother and sister. They were on the opposite side of the plane in the two inside seats, with a man sitting on the aisle between them, making it difficult for them to carry on a conversation.  We had not been seated long when she asked if we would mind switching with her companions, so they could all be together. She went on to say she asked the gentleman who was seated next to her family if he would swap seats, but he told her he didn’t want to because he had a bad leg. We didn’t mind switching, so this man ended up having to get up and move anyway so four people could swap seats, instead of only him having to move across the aisle. I couldn’t help but wonder why he refused this simple request. In the past, I would have jumped to conclusions and thought poorly of him, but instead, I chose to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The apostle Paul gives us a blueprint for living a Christ-centered life in Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.

I still have a long way to go, but with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I know I can get there.

That’s why I vow to keep following. One day at a time.