Acts of Kindness

Acts of kindness continue to pour down upon us like a much needed rain storm. A large group of our neighbors and church goers thoroughly spring cleaned our yard, removing all dead leaves, weeds, pruning trees, branches, edging, mowing, straightening our mailbox with new cement, prepping an area for a garden, putting a trampoline together for Eden, planting flowers, and much more.

What can we say? We’re overwhelmed. There are kind people in the world. Amidst all of the sensational headlines of war, death, and destruction, there is goodness. Generally people have good hearts and use them. I also hope for a heart that I will use for good.

I believe there is hope for anyone in great need of help. People won’t take away your grief. They won’t solve all your problems. They won’t abolish your fears. What they can do, if you’ll let them into your lives, is ease your burden.

Neil A. Maxwell wrote, “To withdraw into our private sanctuaries not only deprives others of our love, our talents and our service, but it also deprives us of chances to serve, to love, and to be loved.” He also said, “Of a truth, those who can easily bend their knees in prayer do not feel they are stooping when they bend to help a neighbor in need.”

Most great service and acts of kindness go unknown and un-rewarded except for that inner conscience which gently soothes the soul with comforting words saying inward “job well done!” There have been many of you who've done kind things that we don't know about. Thank you!

We’ve always tried to surround ourselves with goodness in our home and in our friends. And we try to do all within our power to lift others to be worthy of service.

Soon I will have renewed energy to tutor relationships so I might find out what it is I can do to help them, lift their load, ease their pain.

It’s hard for me not to be among people and shake their hands. I miss it. I miss serving and sharing things in common and enjoying conversation.

With a new heart, God knows I will continue to share my love for life, not only through my music, but also through common friendship and private acts of kindness. But, I know it is not up to me. Our lives are not completely under our control. One minute we're here enjoy things and another we're not.

No matter where I am God knows I will always strive to improve things. If I land in hell - I'll gather people one by one and start making a heaven out of the place.

(Picture: TOP - Our City removes compost piles each Spring and Fall. This pile is a result of acts of kindess, BOTTOM - Carl Bloch painting that has hung in our home for many years.)