"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness," Galatians 5:22 ESV

As a Christian in today's brisk societal pace of living and working and of trying to hold our positions in the status quo, do we react with smile at every opportunity or do we wrap our minds around the task at hand and let others fade to the perimeters? Are we like that person who called in on a radio show to ask the Chief of Police of Los Angles: Will you please stop those people from selling oranges at all of the intersections, they impede traffic!", simply focused upon her ire, or are we like the Chief who answered "What would you have me do, tell them to start selling Steinways out there instead?" For being as jaded as the LA folks of that era were, the Chief's answer absolutely made their day, all due to that simple act of the Chief giving immediate value to the person whom the caller deemed a public nuisance. So from a smile for the stranger to a helping hand for another, all acts of kindness are worthy mile markers along the road of our life's progression. Most feel that such acts are the basis for the peace and goodwill that exists among us as they lighten the load upon a troubled heart or give a new personal value to those who society calls "being of marginal means".

Love and kindness are the best outward signs of the fruits of the Spirit that are within us and although it is not given to the world to understand why we do these acts freely without hope of material gain, it has been given to them to understand and recognize us as Christians because we do so.

Rik Charbonneaux is a retired NE Iowan who loves all of God's Word and all of His creatures.