Kindness Without Expectation
Kindness Without Expectation
by Jami Willander
“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Luke 6:35-36
One winter morning on my way to work I missed the exit to my normal light rail station. I took the following exit and went to the next train stop and parked. It was still dark out and there was a large snowfall the night before. I trudged through the snow in my winter boots. As I approached the station, I saw a man in a wheelchair stuck on the train tracks, struggling to dislodge his wheels from the snowy ruts. There was no train coming at the moment but trains come every ten minutes and I felt an urgency to help. I said, “Let me give you a hand,” and he didn’t respond. I started to try to push his wheelchair off the tracks with him in it. Realizing I would need my hands free to give a good push, I sat my backpack, lunch bag, and purse down in the snow so I could put more effort into it.
After a couple of pushes I managed to move him off the tracks and he was on his way. He didn’t look at or acknowledge me. I didn’t feel I needed an award, but it seemed a simple “thank you” was in order. In my thoughts I spoke, “Excuse me sir, I just pushed your wheelchair off the train tracks with you in it and you didn’t say thank you? Have a lovely day now that you’re still alive for it!” By the time I told my kids and husband the story that evening, I had reflected and reframed the experience. The possible reasons why he didn’t say “thank you” were numerous - fear of the train coming, late for wherever he was going, mental health challenges, embarrassment at needing help, and many others. Navigating life in a wheelchair was likely very challenging both physically and emotionally and he was surely frustrated to be stuck in the snow that day.
Whether you receive appreciation doesn’t take away from the value of a good deed. Maybe the reason I missed my exit that day was simply so I could be there to help him. Be kind not just because you’ll get something out of it, but because it’s the right thing to do. The commonly heard quote, ‘Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle you know nothing about’ is truly a motto to live by.
Let us pray:
Dear God, guide us to help others when it’s desperately needed, when it’s least expected, or when it’s the harder choice. Help us to know we are acting in your image even if we don’t receive credit or reciprocation. Let those in need feel your love through us. Amen.