Random Acts Of Kindness
Saturday, 2. February 2008, 02:02:38
by Joedy Melashenko
Lavonne was in the eighth grade and worked with her six brothers and sisters in their family-owned hardware and furniture store in a small North Dakota town. All the children started working by doing odd jobs in the store, like dusting, stocking shelves, sweeping floors, and eventually serving customers. As they worked and watched, they learned that making a living was more than making a sale.
It was shortly before Christmas. Lavonne was working evenings, straightening out the toy section. A little boy about six years old came in the store. He was wearing a brown, tattered coat with dirty worn cuffs. His hair was straggly, except for a cowlick that stood straight up from the crown of his head. His shoes were scuffed. One shoelace was torn. The boy looked poor—too poor to afford to buy anything. He looked around wishfully at all the toys in the toy section, picking up this item and that, then carefully putting them back in their place.
Lavonne’s dad, Frank, came down the stairs and walked over to the boy.
“What can I do for you, son?”
“I’m looking for a Christmas present for my little brother, Jimmy.” Frank treated this little six-year-old customer with the same respect as any adult.
“Take your time. Look around.”
After about 20 minutes, the little boy carefully picked up a toy airplane and walked up to Frank.
“How much for this, Mister?”
“How much you got?”
The little boy held out his hand and opened it. It was creased with wet lines of dirt from crunching his money: two dimes, a nickel, and two pennies—27 cents.
“That’ll just about do it,” Frank said as he closed the sale.
After she wrapped the little boy’s present, the little boy walked out of the store. Lavonne did not notice the dirty, worn coat, the straggly hair, or the torn shoelace. What she saw was a radiant child with a treasure.
Every day of our lives, we have the privilege of living out the “Matthew 25:40 Principle.” Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. NIV. These are called RAK - Random Acts of Kindness. Try it! You’ll like it!
Lavonne was in the eighth grade and worked with her six brothers and sisters in their family-owned hardware and furniture store in a small North Dakota town. All the children started working by doing odd jobs in the store, like dusting, stocking shelves, sweeping floors, and eventually serving customers. As they worked and watched, they learned that making a living was more than making a sale.
It was shortly before Christmas. Lavonne was working evenings, straightening out the toy section. A little boy about six years old came in the store. He was wearing a brown, tattered coat with dirty worn cuffs. His hair was straggly, except for a cowlick that stood straight up from the crown of his head. His shoes were scuffed. One shoelace was torn. The boy looked poor—too poor to afford to buy anything. He looked around wishfully at all the toys in the toy section, picking up this item and that, then carefully putting them back in their place.
Lavonne’s dad, Frank, came down the stairs and walked over to the boy.
“What can I do for you, son?”
“I’m looking for a Christmas present for my little brother, Jimmy.” Frank treated this little six-year-old customer with the same respect as any adult.
“Take your time. Look around.”
After about 20 minutes, the little boy carefully picked up a toy airplane and walked up to Frank.
“How much for this, Mister?”
“How much you got?”
The little boy held out his hand and opened it. It was creased with wet lines of dirt from crunching his money: two dimes, a nickel, and two pennies—27 cents.
“That’ll just about do it,” Frank said as he closed the sale.
After she wrapped the little boy’s present, the little boy walked out of the store. Lavonne did not notice the dirty, worn coat, the straggly hair, or the torn shoelace. What she saw was a radiant child with a treasure.
Every day of our lives, we have the privilege of living out the “Matthew 25:40 Principle.” Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. NIV. These are called RAK - Random Acts of Kindness. Try it! You’ll like it!
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