Matthew 10:40-42
Proper 8 / Year A
Jesus said, “Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one
of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of
these will lose their reward.”
Lu Mascaro decided to attend a religious discussion
group the evening after she quit her job.
Although she did not know any of the members and felt a bit exposed, she
sensed a need for support and encouragement.
She writes,
From the moment I stepped into the house everyone was welcoming. The
discussion was interesting and respectful, and I felt myself relax. Then suddenly, someone asked me if there was
anything I wanted to share. Without
hesitation and with a quivering voice, I poured my heart out.
While I was talking, someone opened the door. The dog barked. People got distracted. I instantly felt ashamed and self-conscious,
with an urge to hold my breath and not disturb anyone. Was I too boring? What was probably only a split second played
out in my head like a film scene in slow motion. My daze was interrupted when a woman across
from me gently called my name. Looking
directly into my eyes she said, “I’m listening.” I could feel myself breathe again.
A cup of water.
Attentiveness to another. Simple
gestures matter, don’t they. Mark Twain
once said kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see. And when you speak this language two things
happen. First, someone else is blessed. And second, you become a better person for it
because, as Jesus teaches, one of the great paradoxes of life is the more you
give yourself away the richer you become.
At my dentist appoint last week, Beth Bagley was
bragging about her grandson Landon. “Do
you know what he did the other day? We
were watching TV and he got up and headed toward the kitchen. ‘Grandma’, he said, ‘can I get you something
to drink?’” I thought about that for a
moment or two and then said, “Over the course of my entire life I don’t think I
have ever said those words.” Landon’s
simple gesture of thoughtfulness and Beth’s story about it got me pondering much
about my self-centered life.
If giving a person a cup of water leads to an eternal
reward, what other simple gestures might we do to make another person’s world brighter
and better?
Google this question and you will discover number one
on every list is write a thank you note.
I am pleased many of you have adopted a Chanco staff person for the
summer. I am already hearing how much it
means to them to know you care and you are praying for them. I spent yesterday with our international
staffers and was delighted to learn Wanda Rector wrote a note to each of them
after hosting them last weekend. Marty Wilson
has adopted one of the international staffers and that person beamed a radiant
smile when I asked her if she had gotten her card yet.
Number 2: Tone down aggressive driving. If someone uses a turn signal, give them the
space to do what they need to do – especially truck drivers. Newsflash, no trophies are awarded to interstate
drivers who pass the most cars. It is
meant to be a place where we all cooperate in order to ensure everyone arrives safely
to their destination.
Next, let a mother with small children go ahead of you
in a checkout line. Parents have a lot
on their minds and a lot of balls to juggle.
Any small kindness you can show to them means another drop or two does
not get added into a bucket already overflowing.
Here is something which goes a long way – compliments
and expressing appreciation. I have said
before churches are gratitude factories.
A few of us here are paid to do what we do. Still, your kind words go a long way to
helping us realize our efforts are worthwhile and make a difference. Everything else in our church happens because
someone volunteers to do it. A pat on
the back in recognition of peoples’ contributions has real value.
A final idea… share a positive experience on-line,
especially for great service from a local business. Social media can be a bad news dumping ground
and being exposed to negativity takes a toll on us all. Why not use your voice to turn it into a
blessing garden where people who follow you and see your posts are reminded there
is goodness – and lots of it – in this world!
Researchers have found a person who offers a gesture
of kindness to another tends to undervalue its impact on the recipient compared
with how the recipient rates what it means to him or her. Marisa Franco, a psychologist and
author, contends “We have a negativity bias when it comes to social
connection. We just don’t think the impact
of our behaviors is as positive as it is.”
I don’t
know how Jesus did his research, but long ago he decerned the same thing. Whoever gives even a cup of cold water… I will leave you with this from Robert Lewis
Stevenson: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you
plant.” Seeds are small things, aren’t
they. It doesn’t take a whole lot of
effort to spread them, just intentionality.
Go and do some sowing.
