Kindness opens doors

I play on a softball team Monday nights in White Settlement. Our team name is Third String and if you see us play you wouldn't doubt our name selection. We are a bunch of young guys just hanging out and clinging to a few more innings before we hang it up and just talk about how good we used to be (most a fabrication of our own perceptions). I at 26 am the oldest guy on the team. I realized this tonight as I stood on first base watching the 18-20 year olds chase balls in the outfield.

This was my first encounter with playing first and I love it mainly because it closer to the dugout but also because pretty much only my team knows of my calling in being a pastor. First base allows me to be just a kind, outgoing guy. I had many conversations about nothing and gave many compliments to guys as they were running past me on their way to another double.

Kindness matters!!! In a world where we are increasingly becoming more introverted you would be amazed at the difference kindness can make. Take the field umpire in the second game, (MIKE-- a 70 looking year old, retired fire fighter from Cleburne) We had the opportunity to spend 5 innings just chit chatting about his life in the firehouse and the change retirement has brought. In the last inning he asked me what I did, and I told him that I worked at Ridge Community Church as one of the pastors.
He looked at me as if the light bulb went off in his head and with a half smile said,

"I knew there was something different about you, that was it, you know the Lord."

I smiled and replied, "My boss at least hopes so." We laughed a bit and the game finished. As Mike and I were walking off the field he thanked me for taking the time to talk to him. I thought nothing of it and offered the same thanks to him.

As I was driving home I was reliving the conversation in my head and thought how interesting it was. Umpires usually get a bad rep for not making every call according to the other persons expectations. Mike to me for the night was just a guy that I chose to be kind to. Because of that he saw there was something different in my spirit.

Kindness goes a long way.
Try it out today.

******two great books about kindness are both written by Tim Sanders --- Love Is The Killer App and The Likeability Factor. Give them a glance sometime*******************


Heart and Soul
BAG
<><