More Than A Gesture

More Than a Gesture

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Kyle and I were foster parents for six years. During that time we took in many kids and worked with a lot of parents, and each situation was unique. We found that many parents really loved their kids, but they had struggles such as addiction or mental illness that made it difficult for them to care for their children.

That was the case with the twin boys who came to us at just seven months old. We immediately bonded with the babies, and we had a deep affection for their mom, who we could see was doing her best to work through her addiction and provide for her children. For several months we watched her work hard, put her kids and their needs first, and love them every chance she got.

Eventually we knew our time with the twins would be ending, and we wanted to celebrate with this mom as she would be regaining full custody of her kids. As their first birthday approached, I realized that she would probably love pictures of her kids to commemorate this milestone. So one afternoon I put the boys in new outfits and brought them to a local photographer, who took some of the most beautiful pictures I’d ever seen.

A few weeks later I brought those pictures along with the twins for our last visit. We gave her the pictures and a few other gifts. She cried; we cried. She said no one had ever done anything that nice for her. We left feeling privileged to have known this family, even just for a season.

God tells us that of all the things that will last forever, the greatest is love. Extending kind acts toward others, especially those walking through hard times, goes beyond just kind gestures: it’s a display of God’s grace and mercy, an encouragement to the discouraged, an offering of hope and peace.

—Kendra

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Who in your life is going through a hard time and could use some encouragement? Do an act of kindness that will remind them of God’s goodness and love.