Kindness in the New Year

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

It's that time of year when the excitement of Christmas is rolled up and put away. I have mixed feeling about the week after Christmas. Being off work with a few days to do whatever I want makes me happy. But my heart breaks a little that Christmas is over. Although it took months to prepare for, I love this time of year. In the next week or so, I'll pack away the Christmas tree and decorations. The stores will pull out their Valentine items and maybe even Easter. I'll go back to work and life will be "normal" again.

Even though much of the holidays will be tucked away. I hope a few things continue. Christmas time brings out the kindness and thoughtfulness in people. Dare I say the magic of Christmas sprinkles over people and makes them more aware of helping others, perhaps. But I truly believe people recognize the reason for the season. No one on this earth showed kindness the way Jesus did. He healed the hurting, gave to the needy, and shared with his friends and family. Jesus showed more compassion than anyone. So much so, he gave his life for sinners like me. Whether we want to believe this or not, Christmas draws attention to the kind of man Jesus lived as. He gave kindness and compassion, forgiveness, and hope. So no, kindness and compassion don't grow from magic. Instead they spread because of Jesus. So while we put away Christmas, let's keep the spirit of kindness out and pour it over the people around us. In 2018, share kindness and compassion as part of the everyday. Love God, love people.