When Kindness Feels Awkward

Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

James 1:22

My friend Andrew was sitting in a coffee shop, working quietly, when he became aware of the two women talking at the table next to his own. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, yet he couldn’t help but overhear the serious conversation happening as one woman told her friend that she had cancer. Crying quietly, she spoke about treatment options and the prognosis. She admitted that she would probably need to sell something to cover medical bills, and then she and her friend speculated on how easily she’d be able to sell her motorcycle to offset the costs.

Andrew ran out to his car, reached into his glove box, and pulled out some money, then returned inside. The women looked up as he approached.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation,” he said apologetically. Handing the sick woman the cash, he offered her his concern and well-wishes. As the woman burst into tears, he told her to stay hopeful, hugged her, and left the shop.

A little more than an hour later, he had just finished up a meeting elsewhere when a colleague casually asked if he wanted to grab coffee. He agreed, but when they pulled into the parking lot of the very same coffee shop he’d left earlier, he felt dread twist his stomach. Seeing the women still sitting at the table, he asked his colleague if they could perhaps grab coffee somewhere else, feeling sheepish in having to admit that if he reentered the coffee shop, it could be awkward.

Relating the story afterward, he concluded with these words: “Doing kind things for other people can be awkward. People want to feel like they are in control, and putting yourself in certain situations can be uncomfortable because you don’t always have control.” Sometimes face-to-face encounters can feel discomfiting, yet we’re told in Scripture to not just hear the Word but to act upon it as well. Refusing to do so may mean that our lives feel comfortable and yet are ultimately unfulfilling. We can combat this by choosing to step outside of our comfort zones to help others.

—Kristin

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Recognize and then overcome any feelings of awkwardness or discomfort you might feel in showing someone kindness in a face-to-face encounter.

From the book