FRIDAY THOUGHTS: KINDNESS

While on the phone, lamenting to a friend how the lawn was beginning to resemble a jungle, I heard the sound of a lawnmower. 

I remembered how my Dad used to like the lawn to look, when he was able to take care of it.

It had always been so neat. 

Every time I looked at the lawn in the past week, I thought how annoyed my Dad would be to see it in the condition it was in. 

The sound was awfully close, so I considered going outside to see how much I'd be charged to have whoever was working, tackle my grass, too. 

I was sure the sound was coming from one of the neighbor's yards. 

I'd just spoken to one of my Dad's deacon friends yesterday about finding someone to take care of the yard. 

When I went to pick up a homemade pound cake from Mrs. Jackson, my neighbor down the street, even she recommended someone, but the first name on everyone's lips was always Mark.  

Our usual faithful family friend, Mark, had been ill in recent months, and I didn't dare approach him about the job. 

With the rain, erratic weather, and skip from Winter straight to Summer, the grass was literally growing like weeds. 

I considered doing it myself, but that thought quickly passed. 

I walked to the window when the sound got louder and to my surprise, someone wasn't mowing a lawn, they were mowing my lawn! 

That someone turned out to be Mark! 

There he was wearing a wide brimmed hat, riding back and forth on the back of the mower tackling the tall grass. I wanted to cry. 

I wondered if he should even be out there in that heat, and was glad he was riding and not pushing a mower like he usually did. 

He hadn't phoned, or even rang the doorbell. 

He just showed up in his truck and got to work. "You know I wasn't going to let this get too bad! I got you!" he laughed. 

I can just hear Deac now, "Mark! I can't see myself out here! Did I do something to ya?"

Just then the phone rang and it was Warren, another long-time family friend saying he was passing by and asking if I needed anything. 

I don't know if catfish on a Friday afternoon is a need or not, but he promptly went to one of my favorite carry-outs, CF Subs and brought back enough food for all of us. 

We convinced Mark to take a break, come in, sit down and eat. 

When he came in, he sat in the same chair across from the picture window where my Dad used to sit and inspect him as he was caring for the lawn. 

Dad really loved both Mark and Warren like sons, and it was bittersweet to sit at the table eating without him. 

I was just overwhelmed by their random kindness and collective thoughtfulness. 

People don't have to be nice or helpful; they don't have to care, but when they are and do, you can't help but be appreciative and grateful that God placed you in their hearts and minds.

Warren said, "I learned the true meaning of blessing from your mom. What she taught me comes from Ezekiel I think. You didn't ask for it. You knew you needed it. You didn't ask for it, and you didn't pursue it, but it was provided anyway. God knows what you need. I learned that from Myrt".

Yeah. I'm still smiling. The lawn looks great, and the catfish was superb--so was the blessing, as well as the opportunity to be a blessing. 

#itsbeenagoodday