December 20th = small acts of kindness

When I go to pick up my boys from school - which I do once or twice a week when I happen to be in town, I always wait for them in the car which I park on my friend Karen's drive.  She happens to live just at the end of the road on which the boy's schools are.   As I sat there yesterday watching hundreds of cars queue and inch slowly up the road navigating between parked vehicles on either side and trying to squeeze round school buses I suddenly realised that by being able to park on Karen's drive I have been saved hours, days, possibly weeks of accumulated aggro over the six years ( so far) that the boys have been at high school.   And I felt deeply thankful.

It's a small favour, being able to use Karen's drive.  I sometimes park my car there if I want to shop in town as it is only a short walk to the shops from her house,  it's free, and I dont have the hassle of driving round and round trying to find a space.   So all in all Karen's drive has proved to be a big blessing to me.

I know that for Karen it is a matter which barely registers on her radar.  It costs her nothing to let me park on her drive.  No inconvenience.  No wear and tear.  She is happy for me to park up there because she knows it helps me out.    Yesterday it struck me that the smallest gestures can confer disproportionately big blessings.    The other day a friend offered to come into work at 7am because we were expecting a delivery.  She has small children and said she would be up anyway and it was no bother for her to do it.  It would have taken a monumental effort for me to have been in work at 7am!  I was super thankful not to have to do it.

I wonder what I could do to make life that bit easier for someone else.

I suppose in essence it all comes down to kindness.   Can we be generous with our possessions, our time, our expertise in order to help someone in some way?   Do we notice the people around us and keep an eye open for ways we can bless them?    I seem to be particularly aware of Mums with kids in cafes and shops.  If I see a Mum struggling with a buggy or wrestling to get a toddler into a high chair or needing an extra pair of hands to get a coat on a four year old whilst trying to keep the bottle in the mouth of the baby I'll often step in and offer some help.   It costs me nothing more than a minute of my time but to the Mum it might just make the difference between holding it all together and losing the plot.   It wasnt so long ago that my boys were tots and I was the stressed Mum.

And secondly, are we really thankful when people bless us and make our lives just that little bit less stressful?  The person who holds open the door as we struggle with the shopping , the person who lets you cut in front of them at the checkout when you are in a hurry or offers to make you a cuppa at work.   It is so easy to take these daily small acts of kindness for granted.  But kindness is what makes the world go round.

Today why not look out for ways to be kind and determine to be thankful for every blessing that comes your way.