Saturday I was the recipient of a random act of kindness.
I pulled up to a fuel pump - driving my sister's mini-van no less - and routinely started to "gas-up"! Out of the corner of my eye it felt like someone had walked up and was peering in the driver's side window - which totally freeked me out!! I finally took a closer look and realized it wasn't a scary situation at all.
At the front of the van stood an elderly gentleman washing my windshield! I stared in disbelief for a moment, and then found my voice and thanked him. He said he noticed it was dirty when I pulled in. I told him I'd been traveling and some bugs wanted to get a free ride -- they just didn't realize it would cost them their life!! ha ha
He was a quiet man that didn't seem to want to be thanked really. That simple act made me think. What have I done for somebody - anybody recently? Would I do what he did? Am I aware of others in this world or am I so caught up in me I don't notice others? At one point in life this was something that was probably common - people being kind to others. Have we gotten so far away from being just plain old considerate of others that now the slightest thoughtfulness expressed to us seems ... odd -- foreign -- strange -- out of the norm -- "suspicious"!!
Where have all the gentlemen gone? I would love to see my community, my country filled with Mr. Windshield Cleaners! He wasn't doing it for fame or publicity, he genuinely just saw a way he could help and did it.
I didn't even notice my windshield and its condition before pulling into the gas station, but after it was cleaned I sure smiled at how the sun's rays seemed to come alive. Mr W. Cleaner will probably never read this, but I would like to thank him for his kindness, and for causing me to stop and think - even though that was not his intention. I will never forget this complete stranger I spent only a few minutes with. Not because of what he "said" or "gave me", but because of his actions that spoke more volumes than I could ever possibly read!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Thanks for this post, Jess! Working in the field I do, I frequently encounter similar events, people who will go out of their way to assist others in any way possible. What's amazing to me is that, often, these people aren't Believers, and those who claim to be (myself included) are, at times, much more self-absorbed. It's a black mark on us who claim to be Christ-followers...we should be the ones always noticing chances to act as your windshield-cleaning gentleman did.
What a wonderful act of kindness. Something so simple, but with such a message of servanthood. Thanks for sharing!
Post a Comment