Day 14 - Relating in Kindness

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; so that he does not abandon the fear of the Almighty.”
​ Job 6: 14

Meditate or Reflect
In his book Compassion, Henri Nouwen writes that to exercise compassion means to “sit with suffering.”  I believe kindness is a type of compassion. Kindness is often the silent presence of a friend, or the sacrifice of time to finish another’s chores. In some of the hardest parts of my life, kindness was a strong hug without words, or a walk in nature with a friend who reminded me to listen to the beauty of the bird’s song, or a cup of coffee on the patio with my person, just listening to the wind in the trees. Kindness is being present without the need to “fix.”  The kindness of a friend has a way of pointing us to God, reminding us that in our despair God abides with us with kindness and compassion. Take a breath and think of areas in your life where you have kindness – given or received. Are there any situations or relationships where kindness isn’t present?  Reflect on the precious kindness of God who abides with you in your troubles. Recall to your mind the many ways God has shown kindness to you.