I wonder what the world would see if there was a hidden video camera in the kitchen of most homes. No, I am not talking about cleanliness, pots and pans. I am thinking of how common courtesies are not present in our family.
Sometimes, I have discovered, we treat strangers better than our own family members. I ran across this story that impresses upon all of us the importance of kindness — especially to our family.
A story unfolds
I ran into a stranger as he passed by.
“Oh, excuse me please,” was my reply.
He said, “Please excuse me, too. I wasn’t watching for you.”
We were polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told; how we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal, my son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
“Move out the way,” I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken. I did not realize how harshly I had spoken.
When I layed awake in bed, God’s small voice came to me and said, “While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the family you love, you seem to abuse.
“Go and look on the kitchen floor, you will find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers your son brought to you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
“He stood very still not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.”
By this time, I felt very small and now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed. “Wake up, little one, wake up.” I said. “Are these the flowers you picked for me?”
He smiled, “I found them out by the tree. I picked them because they are pretty like you. I knew you would like them, especially, the blue ones.”
I told him how sorry I was for the way I acted earlier.
“I should have not yelled at you that way,” I told him.
“That’s okay, Mom. That’s okay. I love you anyway,” he said.
After we gave one another big hugs, I told him, “ Son, I love you so much and I do like the flowers, especially the blue ones.”
Life lesson
Hopefully all of us can learn a lesson from this story.
Colossians 3:12 tells us “To clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
May we all learn to treat all persons in the way we want to be treated. God bless.
Walker is pastor of Midway United Methodist Church.
Sometimes, I have discovered, we treat strangers better than our own family members. I ran across this story that impresses upon all of us the importance of kindness — especially to our family.
A story unfolds
I ran into a stranger as he passed by.
“Oh, excuse me please,” was my reply.
He said, “Please excuse me, too. I wasn’t watching for you.”
We were polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told; how we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal, my son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
“Move out the way,” I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken. I did not realize how harshly I had spoken.
When I layed awake in bed, God’s small voice came to me and said, “While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the family you love, you seem to abuse.
“Go and look on the kitchen floor, you will find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers your son brought to you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
“He stood very still not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.”
By this time, I felt very small and now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed. “Wake up, little one, wake up.” I said. “Are these the flowers you picked for me?”
He smiled, “I found them out by the tree. I picked them because they are pretty like you. I knew you would like them, especially, the blue ones.”
I told him how sorry I was for the way I acted earlier.
“I should have not yelled at you that way,” I told him.
“That’s okay, Mom. That’s okay. I love you anyway,” he said.
After we gave one another big hugs, I told him, “ Son, I love you so much and I do like the flowers, especially the blue ones.”
Life lesson
Hopefully all of us can learn a lesson from this story.
Colossians 3:12 tells us “To clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
May we all learn to treat all persons in the way we want to be treated. God bless.
Walker is pastor of Midway United Methodist Church.