Dear Younger Me,
Remember Kindness Points? Mom created the system so you and your sisters would be motivated to serve each other in kindness. Looking back, I appreciate Mom's effort to encourage kindness in us, because I wish I would have kept it up. Back then, you got too smart and were quick to find ways to serve your sisters to earn more points just so you could earn your prizes (not Mom's ultimate goal for it at all), but my hope for you now is that you would learn that it isn’t about the prizes. God’s call to a life of service is about loving people and serving them in the ways you can to bring glory to Him, not so you can get a prize or brownie points. My hope is that you would make kindness your life, just not about the points.
Kindness and service can be hard to do because it’s not yet your natural way of living. You hate to admit it, but you can be very self-centered. I’ve been learning recently that Jesus served people in the moments where he was interrupted. Unlike Jesus, interruptions are hard for you and your to-do list and plans to handle.
I hope you learn to appreciate those interruptions because in those moments you have the opportunity to change your attitude and serve. Your plans might be derailed and your to-do list might be put on hold, but when you meet others where they are to help them, your life becomes about others instead of you. Kindness and service aren’t always about having set volunteer hours every week, because it’s a lifestyle, and there are opportunities each day to help the people around you. Hold to what it says at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 14, “Let love be your highest goal!”
Love,
Megan
