Thursday, August 23, 2012

Thursday’s Devotion: The Blessings of Returning a Kindness


Luke 6:34-35  If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return.

I have written before of the exploits of our little dog, Dandy who is very afraid of thunderstorms.  If we’re not home when one comes up he runs out the doggie door, climbs the fence, goes to some neighbor’s house and asks to be let in.  He is truly seeking a higher power.  Thankfully, their name and Joe’s cell number is on all our dogs’ collars.  One lady let me know quickly when I went to retrieve him that she wasn’t really a dog person; they had an outside dog but she let Dandy in and tried to give him water in three different bowls.  I was so embarrassed.  Yesterday morning when I was walking I found a pair of dog tags in the street.  In addition to the rabies tag there was a heart shaped tag with a name, address and phone number.  I picked it up and started looking at mailboxes.  As luck would have it, the tags belonged to that family’s dog and the woman and her husband were sitting on the front step when I walked up.  She said they must have come off when someone was walking the dog the previous evening.  She recognized me and asked how Dandy was doing.  Still climbing, I said.  I know scripture says we should perform acts of kindness with no expectation of repayment. Yet it is a blessing to be able to repay an act of kindness.  As for the used condom I saw in the street on the way home, I thought I’d pass on that one.

Gracious and holy God,   Thank you for giving us the opportunity to do kindnesses for others.  Help us to seek places where we can serve, not expecting anything in return, but receiving blessings from you.  In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.

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