Musings On True Kindness … Hello weekend readers. Today is World Animal Day. Here’s the history: World Animal Day was originated by Heinrich Zimmermann who was a cynologist (the scientific study of dogs, their history, behavior, breeding, etc.) He organized the first World Animal Day on March 24, 1925, in Berlin, Germany. Over 5,000 people attended this first event, but then he changed it to October 4, to align with the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. However, the venue was not available on that day so the event was moved to October 4 for the first time in 1929 and has continued on that day all over the world.

For many of us who love the animals that God has created, this day means so much to us. For me and Al, we are dog-lovers, along with all other kinds of animals as well! Dogs, however, just catch our hearts. Did you know that ‘dog’ spelled backwards is ‘God’—yep, it is and it is in every word across the globe. Sadly, both dogs, cats, horses, elephants, camels, etc., are horribly abused in every country. Why—I do not know, but it hurts my heart. Perhaps it is a loss of kindness? I was talking to a writer-friend from Guideposts about this and she said, “Cyndy, listen to what just happened to me a couple days ago!” So I did and I asked her if I could share it in one of my devotions and she said “indeed” so, here it is:

“I was running late to an appointment when the car in front of me slowed down. What now I thought. Ahead, a bright orange blob was in the middle of the road. Traffic came to a standstill. The blob approached, and I was able to make out what it was—a tall, lean dog—a greyhound mix. It had an orange coat that had come undone and was now flopping like a cape in the wind. The dog went to each car, weaving from side to side on the double yellow line. Car after car inched by. Ahead I could see the dog nudge a pickup truck in the opposite lane. The driver rolled down his window and yelled, “Get out of the road you stupid dog or I’ll run you over!” The car right in front of me put on its turn signal and moved to the shoulder. The driver’s door opened and a woman got out. The dog ran to her. She checked its collar, opened her backseat door, and the dog jumped right in. The woman was holding her phone as I was about to pass. “Thank you!” I shouted. Then she shouted “Thank you for being such a good human!” Then she held up her free hand and waved me forward, shrugging as if to say it was nothing. But I knew I had just witnessed something truly angelic-pure kindness.”

I love her story because it shows true kindness that we often don’t see in our society. It also made me kind of mad when the driver shouted such a nasty word to that poor dog who was just trying to find his owner. And you know what, it also reminded me of how easily we can also do the same thing, not just at a dog but at a friend, a spouse, a child, etc. Seems like we all have a “short fuse” and we don’t even know it!

Grumbling reigns when we cannot get what we want right now, like the dog who got lost and you had to wait for it. The Apostle Peter has something to say about that in 1 Peter 4:9-11 using The Passion Translation: “Be compassionate to foreigners without grumbling. Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-colored tapestry of God’s grace. For example, if you have a speaking gift, speak as though God were speaking his words through you. If you have the gift of serving, do it passionately with the strength God gives you, so that in everything God alone will be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

Oh Lord, help us to embrace moments of true kindness. We never know when a stranger might take the time to open the door and be an answer to a problem. Let us be that answer with love, joy and care without any grumbling! AMEN.