Realizing God's Will Is Oneness

The Joy of Kindness

There is a certain joy in showing kindness in the little things - the everyday things that make up our lives.  Jesus does not ask for grand gestures.  He asks us to be as spiritual children.  Children show kindness in small ways - smiles, giggles of delight, enthusiasm, shining eyes and being quick to show joy and approval for the little shows of love for them.

When I am focused on asking what can be truly helpful in any situation or circumstance, it is mainly in the little things where I can be of service.  When someone is having a hard day, perhaps I cannot make their problems go away, but I can be understanding and offer a smile, a word of encouragement about their ability to meet the challenge, or perhaps just listening.  I can offer this kindness instead of going into my ego story of a hard day.  I see this happening so often.  Stories of computer problems, mechanical problems, health problems, you name it, are met with equally dramatic stories of similar or worse problems. 

The Course talks about defending truth instead of error, and the way to do this is to ask what something is really for.  Everyone defends what he treasures, and one must ask what is treasured and how much it is treasured.  These are the real questions that bring us to clarifying how we respond to everything.  If I treasure the error of form and ego drama, then life is a series of contests about who has more error.  More complications, more difficulties, more drama pain means I am the winner.  My life is harder and I deserve more consideration and attention from others.  If I treasure the body, and problems get attention and validation, then my body must have problems to get what it wants.

If I treasure love and peace, however, and it is my only treasure, then I am looking at everything as an opportunity to be loving and see the loving, and to do this in the midst of the everyday, right where I am.  I look at the people I find myself with and the circumstances I find myself in as being the right ones for me to see what I truly treasure.  If I truly treasure love, then I will give it.  But I don’t have to give it in grand gestures, in “big ways” that expect visible “big differences.”  The ego cherishes its own dramatic gestures.  Love cherishes little loving gestures. 

In giving a loving smile in return for a criticism, a little thing perhaps, but in it I affirm that I treasure love and see only its presence.  In keeping silent when another is stuck on repeating a complaint over and over, but seeing when I do this myself at times and overlooking the ego illusion, may not seem like it makes a big difference, but it is loving and kind.  When I offer my sincere gratitude to someone who has helped me, even in a tiny way, I find joy.  Offering love and kindness in simple little ways is doable.  In this I can heal in the world as it is, as it has been given to me.

If I follow the ego voice and body sight, love is not attainable.  The ego looks to the physical level to judge effectiveness.  Everywhere around us we see the ego mind not content with anything as it is, everything must get bigger and better, more advanced, more complicated.  And even then the ego is not content.  Life seems to be an endless circle of increasing grandiosity in the ego world.  Simplicity is seen as a sign of regression, not progress.

There is a certain joy in simplicity - simple loving acts of kindness that come spontaneously from opportunities to extend love in the right now.  Right where I am is where I extend love, to those given me in the lesson plan of love by Holy Spirit.  Ego cannot find love anywhere and looks to a world of impressive form as a substitute.  Holy Spirit shows me love in all the little everyday parts of my life.  No detail is too tiny or too special to escape His awareness.  If I give as I receive, then I can give the little kindnesses to others.  This is not too difficult for me.

If I listen to the ego and think kind gestures must be grand and noticeable, then they seem beyond me.  When I see the beauty in giving the small kindnesses, I am grateful because I know I can do the small things with Holy Spirit.  I have come to treasure the small acts of kindness because I can do them, and I can see the powerful healing that comes from doing just the little things.  I find joy in giving a smile and a kind word.  I find joy in extending a kind thought, unspoken but sincerely felt.  I find joy in giving a glass of water to someone who is thirsty.

It is my ego that wants to keep tiny details in my tiny kingdom, those deemed too special to bother Holy Spirit with, so that they can be made large and important in the world.  It is in seeing that there is a better way than the upset that comes from doing this that has taken me past a turning-point.  It is in coming to not want even tiny intrusions on my peace, that I am now willing to give as I receive.  As I receive continuous droplets of light-filled kindness from Holy Spirit in His infinite care and love for me, so I can give droplets of kindness to others.  As I give small acts of kindness, I affirm the importance of those I receive contantly from Him.  As Holy Spirit finds joy in helping me in the everyday, so I find joy in helping others in the ordinary things.

The Course says that God’s children are entitled to the perfect comfort that comes from perfect trust.  I find perfect comfort in perfectly trusting in the spiritual grandeur of extending loving kindness in little ways to the life that fills my day.  These are the little gifts that I place on my inner altar every day because I can carry them.  Holy Spirit shows me that small kindnesses are not too heavy a burden.  I can carry them easily and gently and lay them before God with a joyful heart knowing that He appreciates them.  As He gave Holy Spirit to me to help me without pretension in each small step, so I can give to others.  As I lay each humble gift on the altar, my awareness of joy grows.  The act of kindness was small, but the gift of joy to me in return is great.

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