I saw a Facebook post by a friend whose power was out and her house was beyond chilly. She has little kids and was feeling desperate. In a matter of minutes another friend offered to bring over a space heater. It was altruism in action.
On my way to the basement to rotate laundry I had a warm feeling about such gestures of
benevolence. People are so nice. Then I noticed that another inhabitant of this house had put their load in before mine which was waiting patiently in a basket.
"Harrumph," I thought. My first reaction was to leave their sheets in a pile and move my whites. But then I remembered the space heater. If that woman could go out of her way for a neighbor surely I could do as much for my own son.
It's funny how we can feel grandiose about
extending ourselves to people who neither expect nor "deserve" it, whatever that means. But can we be generous to the people God has plunked in our life as cherished family? Or is it shuffled out of the way as an inconvenience?
When people make a wish list of character attributes they hope to achieve, it often includes patience, kindness or a forgiving spirit. But how in the world do we expect to practice it if the people around us are always reasonable and well
behaved? Being patient with others who take their turn is not a feat. Any driver at a stop sign does as much. But to quell the urge to make our desires top priority we need to welcome the opportunity to step out of the limelight.
