Kristen Grossman Prose

Fruit of the Spirit: Producing Bounty in Barren Seasons

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22

https://youtu.be/tQ-ldOWWlHw

It is easy to overlook the importance of kindness in a society that prizes power over patience, acquiring over sharing, and getting ahead over helping others along. The busyness of ordinary life often prevents us from noticing the ways kindness can make a difference in our lives and the lives of others.

Sheltering at home offers a unique season in which to slow down, take stock of our typical routines, and look for ways to experience and share peace and joy through kindness. Here are three practical ways to cultivate kindness in our lives during this pandemic.

Kindness to Ourselves

It is challenging, if not impossible, to demonstrate kindness to others when our own minds, bodies, and hearts are weary, battered, and broken. Just as the airline flight attendant instructs us to put on our own oxygen masks before assisting others, we must tend to our personal mental, physical, and spiritual needs before we can be an encouragement and helpmate to others.

Practical ways to show ourselves kindness include getting enough rest, eating nutritious food, spending time with God, and exercising our bodies. Being kind to ourselves may mean avoiding stress triggers by turning off the news or removing Facebook from our phones. Instead, we must make time for activities that refresh and soothe us. These may include reading, singing, playing an instrument, journaling, hiking, or painting. Grabbing a cup of java for a coffee date over Zoom with an encouraging friend can be refreshing to the soul.

Kindness to Our Families

Have you noticed that sometimes the most challenging people to be kind to are those who live with you? Out in the world, we put on our shiniest smiles and best manners. But in our homes, we may be quicker to anger and more likely to show irritation and crankiness. Add in stress, uncertainty, and fear, and it can be challenging to quiet our hearts and emotions to react in kindness.

My shelter-in-place life consists of more laundry, cooking, and dirty dishes than I have experienced in years. I confess that I don’t always react in kindness when my family leaves dirty dishes on the counter or balled-up socks in front of the couch. Fortunately, I have plenty of opportunities to work on reacting in kindness in these situations. J

Furthermore, I am amazed to realize that four young adults in their late teens and early twenties can bicker and bother each other like toddlers. They also have plenty of opportunities to practice establishing and respecting boundaries in kindness. However, I am grateful for the many kindnesses they do demonstrate. The graduate student who helped the high school freshman with her biology assignment. The 20-year-old who brought up the trash cans for his sister. The high school senior who woke up much earlier than she would like to be a practice patient for her sister’s clinical demonstration.

We can foster kindness in our families by first being kind. This doesn’t mean being a doormat or running ourselves ragged waiting on our families. It does mean asking for help before our patience has reached its limit. It means having conversations on boundaries and tempers in calm moments when emotions have cooled. Fostering kindness means looking for little ways to let our loved ones know they we cherish them, perhaps with a note, a hug, a smile, or a cookie.

Kindness to Our Communities

Looking beyond ourselves and showing kindness to others who are suffering in our community can pay dividends both to us and to those we are serving. I know many who have sewn masks to donate to hospitals, donated blood through the Red Cross, or collected canned goods for the hungry. Many charities are raising money for food and medical expenses for those affected by the pandemic. If you are looking for ways to help out, check with your local church, search online for events in your community, or drop a note in your neighbors’ mailboxes asking how you can help.

Dear Lord, I thank you that no matter the season, kindness is always appropriate. Help us to look beyond our anxieties and fears and use this time to focus on the virtues that will enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. Amen.

I’d love to hear how you cultivate kindness to yourself, your family members, and your community. Please share your ideas in the comments. 💕

If you would like a copy of my PDF entitled, 5 Verses for Focusing on Faith Instead of Fear, subscribe to my blog, and I will be glad to send you a copy. 💙