Small Acts of Kindness
Something happened this morning on the way home from a shopping trip that I thought was a perfect example of Thai kindness. Claire and I were sitting together on the bus and a friendly looking older man was sitting across the aisle. I noticed he was looking with concern back and forth from us to the rain beginning to come down hard outside the bus window. As we approached our stop he began taking things out of a tiny plastic bag he was carrying. To my un-technical eye it appeared to be some kind of computer equipment. He handed the bag over to Claire indicating that she should hold the bag over her head. We all got off at our stop and were immediately drenched in the torrential downpour. It was the kind of driving rain that even an umbrella can’t help. Claire held the bag against her sopping hair and the man held his unprotected gadgets clutched to his chest getting soaked.
Little kindnesses like these (people giving the girls little free snacks from their own lunches or food stands, giving us a seat on a crowed bus or skytrain, making sure we have a fan turned on us in a hot restaurant) make all our adjustments a lot more bearable. Many times I think that Thai Buddhists who come to faith will have a great start in the Christian life because of the high value placed on kindness, meekness, and gentleness in this culture.
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Philipians 4:5
-Candice