Kindness or Blindness
As I was preparing for a week's vacation, like many of you, I was facing some deadlines before leaving. One of those was videotaping a sermon for a ministry in Zambia. Finishing up my notes on Tuesday evening, I wanted to print them on my home printer. Unfortunately, my printer indicated it needed black ink before it would print the document. I knew that my ink was running low, but I thought it would be fine just one more time. It wasn't.
Frustrated, because it was now 7:40 pm, Steve suggested we run out and purchase the ink cartridge. Staples closed at 7 pm, and as we were about to walk into Walmart at 7:50 pm, the clerk said we could not enter the store because they were closing at 8 pm. Not giving up, Steve drove to Target to save the day and pick up a black cartridge. Thinking all was well, we drove home, and Steve inserted the black ink cartridge. However, a new message appeared, indicating that we now needed a color cartridge before printing. Being under a time restraint to video the message the next morning, I began to feel slightly overwhelmed. Have you been there? Now, almost 9:30 pm, I was ready for bed, and I had started formulating Plan B in my head. Being tired, I went to sleep without sharing my Plan B with Steve.
Steve was out the door early for a dentist appointment on Wednesday morning and told me he would stop and purchase the color cartridge and drop by to install it. I do remember him saying this to me, but I had already moved on to my Plan B, so I paid little attention. Have you been there?
Wednesday morning, I knew exactly how I was going to get my project completed, and it DID NOT involve the printer. I had my devotions and got to work, instituting my Plan B. About 8:30 am, I was set up and began videotaping my twenty-minute message for Zambia, and it was going well! Then at the sixteen-minute mark, I heard a door open and footsteps coming toward me, and they were not quiet footsteps! Steve was doing what he had said he would do, and the color cartridge was in his hand, ready to be installed on the printer. However, I didn't need or want the cartridge to be installed right then and was mad that he interrupted me. Being sixteen minutes into a twenty-minute recording, meant I needed to start over.
Instantly, I began to go off-the-rail, if you know what I mean, and loudly told Steve to leave and leave now. Kindness was not what he received from me, and I immediately wished I could take back my rant. Words can instantly change the mood of the room. My words were not kind because I was blind to his feelings.
Then I saw him! Looking a little shell-shocked, he quietly reminded me that he had stopped to help me. Ouch! I put my arms around his neck and apologized. Fortunately for me, I have a forgiving husband who excused his stressed-out wife!
I wonder how much better our world would be if we were a little kinder and a little less blind. We all have blind spots, don't we?
Proverbs 11:17 "Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel."
Our country seems stressed out due to COVID-19, racial tensions, the economy, and everything being canceled or revamped - and all this in an election year! If we are not careful, we will destroy ourselves and those around us with our words and lack of kindness. Assumptions made, relationships splintered, and lines drawn in the sand.
"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.” Galatians 5: 13-15
We each have some strong opinions, which is healthy. What may not be healthy is the way we express our opinion. Social media posts are destroying people. Kindness has been exchanged for blindness. We don't see each other's faces anymore; we only the issues. During this time, I keep reading the statement, "I don't see color," followed by "We want you to see color," when referring to seeing a black person. Maybe we all need to be seen, period.
Seeing my husband's face when I was unkind with my words, changed my response. I could see the hurt in his expression, and it destroyed me until I made amends with him and repented of my action.
Vomiting words via text, email, or on social media is easy. Having a face-to-face discussion with someone is more difficult, but the benefit is worth it. You see someone's heart. Look people in the eye, and don't be blind to their feelings. Relationships can be messy, and misunderstandings inevitably happen, but kindness will keep you from blindness.
I want to love well, and like you, I can be blind rather than kind. Praying, we open our eyes and see each other as Jesus sees us!
