Read

In the early 2000s, on a cold February day, a limousine traveling down the New Jersey expressway got a flat tire. The limo driver got out to change the tire only to discover that the spare was flat. Before he could summons road service, a man in a pickup truck stopped and offered to help. Among the equipment on his truck was an air tank.

As the man and the driver finished up, the car window slid down and the man was shocked to see a wealthy, well-known businessman sitting inside. “This was very nice of you to stop and help,” he said. “What can I do to thank you?”

The man thought for a moment and then said, “Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. My wife would really get a kick out of receiving a dozen roses from you.” The man agreed and drove off.

The next day, a messenger arrived with a box. Inside were two dozen roses and a note: “Happy Valentine’s Day from a friend of your husband. (signed by the businessman.) P.S. Thanks for helping us out. By the way, I paid off your mortgage.”*

Respond

A little time invested in the story above came with a great reward. The same is true in working with children. The rewards you get far outweigh the time and energy you give. Our culture often focuses on instant gain and gratification but our reward in investing in others comes not only in this life but forever in eternity. The impact you will make with your kids will far outlast our lives on earth.

Also, the value in the story above is not that the car was fixed or that someone received roses. The real value is that someone went well above and beyond to say thanks, to encourage, to bless, to honor and, to put it plainly, to show unreasonable kindness. How has God shown you unreasonable kindness this past week. How can you invest that same kind of kindness in others?

Your thoughts?

Reflect

Ephesians 3:20—“Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine” (GWT).

Philippians 2:4—“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Remember

“One thing for sure, if you see a turtle on top of a fence post, you know he had help getting there.” (Original source unknown)

Let us invest our lives in others and share the love of Christ. Only in Heaven will we truly understand the impact of it all.

*A Children’ s Leader Devotion, (Lake Forest, CA: Saddleback Church), Week 30.