Acts of Kindness

Something I’ve heard my whole life is that you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat others who can do nothing for them in return.

My husband has a heart of gold. He’s the kind of man who goes out of his way to help people whenever he can.

Recently, he saw a post from a single mom looking for mattresses for her children. As it turns out, he had brand-new mattresses still in plastic, tucked away for just such an opportunity. On his day off, he loaded them up and drove several towns over to deliver them himself.

Later, he told me what he had done and said,

“And you know… she never even told me thank you.”

The moment he said that, I was taken back to a time when I felt the exact same way. I had done something for someone and never received any gratitude. Quietly, in my heart, I told God I would never do anything like that again.

But in that moment, I felt God whisper to me, deep in my spirit:

“I know what you did. I know your heart. And I will reward you.”

I’ve also struggled with seeing people post videos of themselves giving to those in need. While the act itself may be good, something in me wrestles with the desire for recognition behind it. Because while people see the action, God sees the heart.

So I told Todd—he did the right thing. And I encouraged him not to let that moment harden him or change who he is.

Because Scripture reminds us:

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” — Proverbs 3:27

And in Matthew 25:40:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Gratitude from people is never guaranteed.

But being seen by God always is.