Kindness Is Contagious: Who Will You Encourage Today?
For a season during my single years, while working to start my ministry as a Christian speaker, I made ends meet as an Uber driver.
Besides paying the bills, my little side hustle provided a welcomed change in my routine. It was the perfect go-to when I craved human interaction or if my eyes needed a break from the computer screen.
I drove people from every corner of the world and all walks of life…
Los Angeles locals and those just passing through. Those who liked to talk and those who preferred to ride in silence.
Tourists. College students. Hollywood hopefuls. Businesspeople. Blue-collar workers.
There were some eccentric ones, too. Like the guy from Hawaii who tipped me with a coconut. Or the gal who stripped down to her underwear and changed clothes in the back seat while I was driving.
Ubering definitely added some color to my day. I loved interacting with people, hearing their stories, and bouncing opinions back and forth.
Not to mention the many opportunities God gave me to share my faith.
However, the sweetest, most memorable experience I had as an Uber driver was the evening I picked up a young executive outside a high-rise office building in downtown L.A....
As soon as he got in the car, I knew there was something special about him. Much to my delight, he turned out to be a follower of Jesus, like me. We started talking right away. He was warm and funny, seemed wise beyond his years, and had a way of putting me at ease with his thoughtful, God-focused questions.
After I’d shared about how God had led me out of the secular marketing world and that I was pursuing what I believed was my calling as a Christian speaker and author, he began to encourage me in the Lord. In fact, he spent the remainder of the ride pouring into me.
He kept saying, “Just stay faithful in the little things. Everything will happen exactly as it’s meant to.”
At a time when I was feeling discouraged that things weren’t taking off as quickly as I’d expected, my rider’s words were confirmation that God still had a plan for me. Despite what it looked like, He wasn’t running late.
My rider’s words also convicted me of my shortsightedness: I could choose to be content, enjoy the journey, and open myself up to being used by God right now, in small ways, all while moving toward my “big” goals.
Later that evening, after I’d dropped off the young businessman at his destination, I pulled up at a grocery store to grab a quick snack.
That’s when I saw a homeless couple outside the entrance.
If it hadn’t been for the spiritual boost I just received from my Christian rider, I probably would have walked right past them. I was pushing for a particular driver’s bonus that night and had a quota to meet, so I didn’t want to stop.
But after what just happened, I was so uplifted by how the Lord had used my rider, this angel of a man, to speak life into me that there was no way I could not stop and tell this couple about the Lord!
Compelled by joy, I stepped out of my comfort zone and walked over to them. Only as I came closer did I notice they were sitting there with a Bible open in front of them—right there on the sidewalk!
Within seconds, the three of us were headlong into a conversation about Jesus, and I was blessed to be able to answer a few questions they had about what they’d been reading.
I don’t need to tell you how exhilarating it was.
God used me that night to encourage this husband-and-wife team in their newfound faith, pray over them, and help them out with a few bucks for food.
It’s true what people say about spreading kindness: kindness does have a ripple effect!
We may never know the real impact of our grace-fueled words and actions. Those words and actions may go further and deeper than we ever imagined when the individuals whose hearts we touched are inspired to pass some love on to the next person.
But we do know where it all starts, don’t we? It starts with you and me taking a few moments out of our busy day to sow kindness into someone else’s life.
After that—what happens next…the rest—it’s up to God.
Who will you encourage today?
L.B.
Have you experienced the power of “random acts of kindness” or “small acts of kindness”? What are some practical ways we can spread kindness? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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