Kindness of a Stranger

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

– Colossians 3:12

When my eyes popped open this morning, I didn’t need to look outside to know the weather, I could hear it.  Pouring rain hammered the roof, drenched the lush, green forest and swelled the nearby creek. I quickly counted: seven consecutive days of rain in the Pacific Northwest.  

Last week when my two daughters and I boarded the plane in Denver, we said good-bye to the sun’s brilliant presence and warmth.  We had left behind the usual Spring Break supplies like sunscreen, bathing suits, and flip flops in exchange for rain coats, walking shoes, and college maps.  

No time for suntans or relaxing on the beach, we were on a mission to explore college campuses up and down the Northwest coast.  And no better companion to make this epic adventure with than my college roommate and best friend, Becky and her two daughters. The six of us piled into Becky’s red mini-van and off we went “like a herd of turtles”.  From Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia we trekked, laughed, and dreamed with our girls about what life could be like after high school graduation.  

Road trips sure have a way of bringing out our true colors, don’t they?  How do you respond when the traffic around a major city adds two unexpected hours to your travel time?  When torrential rain reduces your driving visibility to ten feet, or severe hunger pains lead you to the nearest convenience store for Swedish Fish, Oreos, and Corn Nuts? 

The only thing predictable about road trips is you can count on construction delays, bumps in the road, and sudden surprises.  

On our drive up to British Columbia we were right on schedule.  We were making good time on Interstate 5 when, from out of nowhere, the mini-van’s side door window shattered.  Becky, having lived in Newark, NJ thought we’d been shot.  I thought we’d been hit by a baseball.  (I guess I’ve spent too much time parked in sports complex parking lots.) 

As the hole in the window widened, we jumped into detour mode.  I veered the van on to the first exit ramp.  Becky directed the girls in the middle row to abandon their seats and squeeze into the way-back.  Everyone huddled under blankets to shield themselves from flying shards of glass. 

With hazard lights blinking, we pulled into a Costco Tire Center.  There a compassionate employee happily swept up the pile of glass that had fallen out of the window as he gave us directions to an REI to buy supplies.

At REI, instead of just silently checking us out with our odd collection of duct tape and tarps, an employee took the time to ask what we were up to.  When we explained, his eyes lit up and told us to “wait right there,” as he headed off.  A few minutes later, he returned with a thick cardboard box.  He instructed us how to cut it to fit the window and sent us to a local hardware store for a box cutter and larger, stronger rolls of duct tape. We thanked him for his free gift.

At our final stop, a small carwash, the girls giggled and worked as a team to vacuum up all the glass.  They laid out the repair supplies on the ground next to the van and pulled out the box cutter to get started.  It wouldn’t open.  Something was stuck.  Really?  

Right then a car pulled up next to us and a young man climbed out.  I wondered why in the world he had stopped at a carwash because his vehicle already looked immaculate inside and out. With a distinctive South African accent, he asked us how he could help.  After the girls explained the problem, he smiled and told us of how he had recently fixed his own window after someone had broken in and stolen his iPad. 

Like a professional, he quickly opened the box cutter, cut the cardboard, and duct taped it securely over the entire window. By the time he was finished, we knew his name was Rezmond, that he’d grown up along the Gold Coast, had come to the United States at twenty-four, was working as an IT Specialist in the local school district, and that kindness was “how he rolled.”

We tried to pay Rezmond for his tremendous help, but he only smiled, and flat-out refused.  

Later I was reminded of Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” All six of us had hugged Rezmond when we said our good-byes.  He’d sure felt human.  

But isn’t it true that God also sends people into our lives who act as angels by clothing themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, and gentleness (Col. 3:12)?  Whether Rezmond was an angel or an incredible man, he has reminded me that we can all clothe ourselves with kindness, because kindness is a choice.

Now I’m on the lookout for how I can pass on the kindness I’ve received from strangers.  I’m ready and willing to be used by God.  What to join me?

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