Refresh

Refresh

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

PEERING OUT THE FRONT WINDOW, my kids waited anxiously for someone to arrive on the doorstep.

“What time will the mail come?” they asked impatiently. “Have you ordered anything lately?”

We weren’t expecting anything at all, actually. But that morning, we’d filled a small cooler with ice packs, a few bottles of water, and some snacks. A decorated sign, taped above it on the propped-open lid, read, “USPS, FedEx, UPS: Please take some goodies to enjoy on your route!” The weather had been hot and sunny lately, the humidity almost unbearable, and we hoped that our little gift would be a refreshing surprise.

Finally, the girls heard a truck pull up outside. Scampering for their perch by the window, they peered out, watching as the delivery man arrived. He paused to read the sign. Not content with sitting by the window, they raced over to hover just inside the storm door.

“Those are for you!” they said loudly, through the glass.

“Thanks!” He grinned, grabbing a water and a couple of snacks. As he left the steps and his truck shifted back into gear, they came looking for me in the kitchen.

“Mom, he took the chips and the candy bar—those are totally the best ones,” they said, smiling happily. “We would have taken those too. Let’s put some more in!”

Like the cooling refreshment provided by the icy water we placed in a cooler on a hot summer day, our kind words and actions can provide much-needed refreshment to the parched hearts of those around us. When we choose to do something kind for another person, we show love to others and we honor God through our decision to selflessly serve another. Yet as my children found out, in the miraculous, upside-down economy of God, when we set out to refresh others through our words or actions, doing so brings us just as much joy in return.

Lord, thank you for the opportunities we have to refresh others. Help us to obey the nudge to do so each day. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: Find a way to refresh someone through your words or actions.