What act of kindness have you witnessed recently that stopped you in your tracks?

I recently attended a church here in Broward County where they stopped in the middle of the service and invited the congregation to pray for the needs of two other neighboring churches. I was deeply encouraged by the growing tangible expression kindness and generosity that is developing between churches in this region! 

Alan Platt, Doxa Deo / City Changers

Over the Christmas holiday, Kathy and I contracted this cold going around the community.  This cold bug was not your normal cold bug and it put both of us down for the count. One morning, we got a call that a very close friend of the family had made us a large pot of chicken soup.  Homemade chicken soup with everything but the kitchen sink in it. Both of us had not even left the apartment except to go to the doctor’s office for antibiotics.

Over the next two weeks, she continues to make more special homemade soup for us and it quite frankly brought us back to life.

Doing unexpected things for people in a loving way has a profound impact on the receiver. I  am always amazed when people do things for others without question and watch over you to ensure your safety. Nancy was a blessing indeed.

Andy and Kathy Mitchell, President and Founder, The Fairwinds Group and Operation Lift Hope

This fall Jane and I were privileged to travel to Guatemala with Les Feldman and the representatives of Hope Haven to observe their facility where adjustable, versatile and durable wheelchairs are constructed and distributed to children who otherwise must be carried by their parents or spend the rest of their lives in bed.  We participated for a full day along with the staff of Hope Haven actually working to adjust the chairs for 12 children. The adult Hope Haven employees that build the chairs and work to fit them perfectly to the children are themselves all in wheelchairs. Seeing the joy in these employees as they sang Christian songs and served these children and then the joy of the mothers that walked in carrying 3-5 year olds and left with them sitting up in wheelchairs literally “stopped us in our tracks” as we were overwhelmed with emotion.

William “Bill” C. Davell, Director, Tripp Scott Attorneys at Law

A few weeks ago as I was desperately trying to negotiate peace in the backseat; Rivers (5), Nora (2), Summer (1) were all fighting over something really important, like a Pokemon.

Pulling into traffic, I realized too late, I cut someone off in the worst way. As I was emotionally preparing myself for an onslaught of middle fingers and profanities, the victim pulled alongside me and gave me a kind smile and mouthed, ‘don’t worry about it.’ He drove away and probably not realizing he changed the trajectory of my entire day.

Bob Denison, President, Denison Yachting

There is a man who comes to our church and also First Baptist FtL who ministers to kids from the inner-city. There are between 50 and 60 of them that he picks up regularly throughout the week, taking them to various activities, including church on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. He helps these families in many ways, including paying for their light bills and other expenses if they fall behind. 

Every Christmas he gets each child three gifts, wraps them and has a Christmas party for them with all their favorite foods, and then he goes and collapses for a couple of days, spending Christmas by himself.

This past year he has had some major health issues, and has had to stop working. As a result he’s now on early retirement Social Security, which is a severe reduction of his income. Still, he enlisted the help of members of First Baptist and First Christian in Fort Lauderdale for the kids, and he was able to get a lot, most, of the gifts the kids had asked for under $20. What he couldn’t get, he made up for by purchasing $20 gift cards, so the kids could purchase what they desired.

This year did not go well, because though a couple of the mothers helped him wrap presents, someone apparently helped themselves to the gift cards intended for the kids so that a number of the kids did not get gifts they wanted and there were no gift cards for them to buy their own gifts. He didn’t realize this until he handed out all the gifts. One family in particular had come up short, but it was too late.  Christmas was upon them, and he had nothing with which to make up the shortfall. He was, needless to say, despondent.

The next day, which was the day after Christmas, he had $20 to his name. He decided to go to Lester’s Diner and treat himself to breakfast. While he was there he saw another attendee to one of our Bible studies who asked to join him and who gave him $20 to pay for his breakfast. That generous person has a fat dog, and when he noticed two women in an adjacent booth not having finished their breakfasts, he asked if he could take their leftovers to his dog. He is a little rough in appearance sometimes, and apparently they suspected that he was going to take the food to eat it himself. They acquiesced and also gave him $50. He in turn gave the $50 to the fellow with the children’s ministry.

All of a sudden there was a commotion in the restaurant, when it was realized that some other generous patron had managed to gather all the checks for everyone in Lester’s at the time and had paid their tabs, wishing them all a hearty “Merry Christmas!”

Pleasantly surprised, and freshly heartened by the generosity of others, the fellow from children’s ministry then drove to visit the family who had not gotten much and gave him the $70 that other people had given to him. This whole story of generosity blew me away or as you phrased it, “stopped me in my tracks.”

Collins Forman, Jr., P.A.

Recently a bailiff in court handed me an envelope containing a note wishing me a great 2020 and included two mini chocolates.    I smiled and was quickened to remember how a kind and simple gesture could make a difference in someone’s day. We are afforded daily opportunities to bless someone with a kind and simple gesture, I pray I don’t miss those opportunities.  

Cynthia J Arevalo-Bialy, Esq., Law Offices of Cynthia Arevalo

I heard this testimony last week. 

A mom from my church and her husband both lost their jobs at the same time. Since they were behind on their bills, and they hadn’t shared their plight with anyone, they received notice on Friday that their electricity would be turned off at 5 pm on Monday,.The mom went to a prayer meeting Monday morning at a friend’s church (whose husband was the pastor). This friend greeted her with, “It’s you!” and handed her a envelope that a man, who had never attended her church before, had given her Sunday, saying, “You’ll know who to give it to.” He had driven two and half hours to this new church in obedience to the Lord. When the mom opened the envelope, it was the exact amount of her electric bill, to the penny!

Pretty cool if we all could hear the Lord so specifically and be so radically obedient!

Deborah Cusick, FAU Campus Volunteer, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship

Acts of Kindness – When a professional photographer boarded an airline he realized that he had left his camera bag at Fort Lauderdale customs and he had an important photo shoot downtown New York City the next day.  He called Banyan with no idea of what to do. One of our teammates quickly called all the jet charter operators in the south Florida area and she found a private jet going to Teterboro airport . The camera equipment arrived at the airport before the photographer could even get to the Teterboro airport to pick it up.  Example of a solution found for the impossible powered by kindness.

Don Campion, President, Banyan Air Service

After the Lord had given us six granddaughters as a wonderful gift we prayed that He would bless us with a grandson and October 4, 2019 God’s kindness blessed us with our first grandson. And my son and wife decided to name him after my dad, Max. Now that is an awesome act of kindness. Thank you Jesus. 1 Cor 15:58

Fidel Gomez, Pastor, Calvary Chapel Hollywood

We were driving home after a dinner out.

My wife says, “turn right here!”

When I asked why, she asked if I seen the man walking on the sidewalk? I had not.

He had no coat and it was rainy, windy and cold. He looked like he was not in a good place. As I turned he was walking close to the car. She pulled a coat she happened to have in the back seat of her car, and gave the coat and $20 to him!

The look on his face as he couldn’t believe what my wife was doing was something I will not forget!

Fred Scarbrough, DVM, Founder, Scarbrough Animal Hospital and HOPE South Florida

The most “recent act of kindness I witnessed even in small ways” was when my husband was at Publix a few days ago and watched a woman struggling to pay for diapers and milk ($40) with dollar bills and coins. He paid her bill and the cashier and woman were touched by his random act of kindness and so was I.

“A generous man will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).

Gita Santangelo, Community Prayer Partner

Seeing the grateful smile on an elderly lady’s face made my day! A woman jumped to help this lady put her groceries into the trunk of a cab while the driver didn’t even get out of the vehicle. Love never fails… an act of kindness is love.

Helen Wayner P.A., Century 21 Hansen Realty

After my father’s passing,  my best friend since 2nd grade (Sue) baked a bountiful basket full of gourmet goodies and drove 57 miles in heavy traffic to drop it off at our hotel. Everyone so enjoyed her comfort food the morning of the funeral. 

Karen Granger, Community Relations Director, 4KIDS Palm Beach

As many begin their stressful daytime commute, a delightful crossing guard chooses to joyfully wave and smile from the bottom of her heart to every single car that drives by. How powerful and sweet the taste of random kindness. 

Dr. Mike Rozenblum, Genesis Physical Medicine

I know of this family the father of whom has been out of work for quite a while.  In spite of that, they travel great distances and give so generously of themselves in ministering to others that you would never know they were in need. But there were two couples that found out about their situation and blessed them – anonymously – with a very generous gift.  Because they used me as the conduit for the money, I knew about it and it blessed me as much as it did the family who received the money! It’s true that when blessings emanate from the Spirit of God inside us they always bless far more people than just the recipient. 

“Love each other like brothers and sisters.  Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves. Share with God’s people who need help” (Roman12:10-13 NCV).

Oksana Horton, Artistic Director, Torch & Trumpet Theater Company, a subsidiary of Revelation Ministries

I was really inspired by a story that I saw on ” Good  News America,” where a 22 year old black man donated part of his liver to a young white woman who needed A liver transplant in order to live. He saw on social media that the young lady’s mother was advertising that her daughter needed a liver transplant in order to live and he put his own health at risk in order to help a stranger. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.

O’Neal Dozier, Pastor, The Worldwide Christian Center

Getting gas, there was an older man painfully using his walker and asking people for money in Miami. The attendant came out (knew him by name) asked why he was asking for money. The man replied that he was trying to get to his doctor’s office and he was too tired to walk. The attendant called a cab. I asked him why he did this, was it a friend or relative? He replied that he sees the man around a lot and that  he is a veteran and usually never asks for help. Since he was asking for money for a cab he felt that was the least he could do..

Patricia Colangelo, EdS, Director of Operations, Trinity International University Florida

Serving in a faith-based health ministry, I witness multiple acts of kindness, daily. Holy Cross associates seek out opportunity to share God’s love with everyone we serve. From simple wayfinding assistance to the most complex medical situations, this place is filled with people who live out the Golden Rule!

Scott R. Ford, MA, CFRE, Vice President, Development & Marketing, Holy Cross Hospital

I recently was at Walmart, when a woman began opening up about her struggles. It was God’s timing. I felt led to give her a little money to help with groceries. She was so thankful. I invited her to Calvary Chapel, the church my hubby and I attend. The next morning, I had a text and voice message. I didn’t recognize the number. The woman appreciated my help so much she was overflowing with gratitude. It was a huge blessing. She promised to attend Calvary with us. My act of kindness precipitated such appreciation that I was moved by her kindness. And, it made me want to pray for the Holy Spirit to lead me to others that need encouragement. What a blessing to be an instrument in God’s hands. It’s His timing and His doing!

Tewannah Aman, Executive Director, Broward Right to Life

One of our church ministers was in desperate need of a kidney transplant, and our head deacon urged our men to be tested for compatibility. Everyone went, but he was the only one who tested as a possible donor. The free gift of life he willingly gave was Christlike in its kindness.

Dr. Warren A. Gage, Th.M., J.D., Ph.D., President, The Alexandrian Forum