Magic

Part of our Christmas celebration last year included an extended family gathering in an old, small-town church building. After some festive food and typical fun, cousins big and small gathered around as Wes's momma read a beautiful and original story about the gifts we give the Savior. Gifts of kindness and service and love. In conjunction with the story, all of the cousins received an empty box with instructions to write down a gift they could offer to the Savior in honor of his birth.

Understandably, Lucy was too little and too distracted to catch the moral of Grandma's story. But she was enthralled with the box.

"What's in it?" She asked me.
I told her it was full of love and kindness.

She lifted the box tenderly to her cheek and said, "I just love this magic stuff."

Yesterday, my sensitive (read: emotional), scatter-brained, so-round self came home from a meeting to the unexpected sight of smiling yellow daisies, a homemade card, and a newly purchased copy of The Scarlet Pimpernel (a favorite, but until now unowned movie).

The occasion???
Nobody told me it was "Pamper-Your-Pregnant-Wife" day, but they must have reminded Wes.
Unnecessary, undeserved kindness.
Magic stuff.

And today I kept company with conference keys and conference forms and conference buildings from 7am-4pm. Not a bad work day, really. But imagine my delight at the mid-morning sight of fellow Hall Advisor Shayla (not assigned to check-outs and not required to be in the vicinity) approaching my work table with the glorious gift of a granola-bar and a bottle of OJ.

Unexpected, unrequested kindness.
Magic stuff.

Powerful magic. Memorable and motivating.
More influential than intelligence. More impressive than beauty. Don't you think??!

Last semester we found ourselves in a bind with a broken glider we had just purchased at a great price from the DI. We hesitated only a minute before calling our neighbor/carpenter/construction-management-major friend, Paul, to help us fix the chair.

(Below: Paul and his son Benjamin working on a couch. One of my fav pictures ever. Had to steal it from your blog, Vicky!)

Wes, in awe as he watched Paul's well-honed and so-handy skills resurrect our broken chair, commented sympathetically, "You're going to be doing this kind of thing for people your whole life!"

Paul's so sincere response, "I hope so!" has been the topic of several subsequent conversations in our household.

Helpfulness. Selfless service. Sincere kindness.
Magic stuff.

Love these Joseph B. Wirthlin words:

Kindness is the essence of a celestial life. Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others. Kindness should permeate all of our words and actions at work, at school, at church, and especially in our homes.

Each one of us will travel a different road during this life. Each progresses at a different rate. Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all. Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another. Never look down on those who are less perfect than you. Don’t be upset because someone can’t sew as well as you, can’t throw as well as you, can’t row or hoe as well as you.

“But,” you ask, “what if people are rude?”
Love them.
“If they are obnoxious?”
Love them.
“But what if they offend? Surely I must do something then?”
Love them.
“Wayward?”
The answer is the same. Be kind. Love them.
Why? In the scriptures Jude taught, “And of some have compassion, making a difference.” 6 Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind?

May we be models of kindness. May we ever live up to the words of the Savior: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

I'm so grateful for the people who fill my life with the magic of kindness.