Thought for the Week: The power of a random act of kindness
School is out for summer! Oh, I used to love the long summer holidays, late nights, long lies, trips to the beach and, most of all, no homework!
Forty odd years later, with two nursing certificates and a Bachelor of Divinity behind me, I realise I am still learning. Someone said, quite rightly, every day is a school day.
As a parish minister, it is a privilege to be involved in the life of our schools, I have five in North Kintyre. We are fortunate to have good relationships with our schools and some of the children come to church a couple of times a year for Christmas and Easter services.
Over the years, I have often found it is the children who teach me more than I teach them. I love their imagination and inquisitive minds, their searching questions about life and death and everything in between.
In the first week of their holidays, I was walking in Tarbert with my dog, Poppy, a crazy cocker spaniel, when two children stopped me and gave me a balloon and an envelope addressed to a “kind person”.
Inside was a little handmade note saying: “Have a lovely day!” Despite being covered in glitter, I was delighted to receive this. I never cease to be amazed at how children can surprise me. I continued my walk after saying thank you.
I wonder how you will spend these summer months? In my last thought, I invited you to find a sit spot, a quiet place to contemplate and give thanks.
This time, I invite you to do something. The children did a random act of kindness for me, how might you do a random act of kindness for someone?
Reverend Lyn Peden, Minister of North Kintyre, Church of Scotland.
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