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One chilly, rainy day in early February 1996, one of the most affluent men in America was being driven down the freeway when his personal limousine got a flat tire. His driver got out to survey the damage when a passing car stopped and a fellow traveler offered to
change the tire. When the spare was in place, the wealthy owner slid open his window and said, “That was kind of you
,
what can I do to thank you?”
The man thought for a moment and then with a smile and a chuckle replied, “My wife would get a real kick out of you sending her a dozen long-stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day. The entrepreneur agreed to do that and drove off.
February 14 arrived and a beautiful box of long-stemmed roses showed up at the kind traveler’s door for his wife. Inside was a simple note which read:
Happy Valentine’s Day. Thanks for helping us out. Here are the roses I promised and, by the way, I paid off your mortgage. Signed Donald Trump. Wow! What a gift!
Ellen White admonishes us to be kind not for the possible reward but for the blessings it brings to others: “We should be self-forgetful, ever looking out for opportunities, even in little things, to show gratitude for the favors we have received of others and watching for opportunities to cheer others and lighten and relieve their sorrows and burdens by acts of kindness and little deeds of love. These thoughtful courtesies that commencing in our families, extend outside the family circle, help make up the sum of life’s happiness.” (Testimony for the Church, Volume 3, page 539-40.)
Appeal text:
“Your loving kindness is my guide, and I try always to walk in your truth.” [Psalm 26:3 TCW]
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