Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness is Action...
Kindness is not simply being nice and friendly. It is taking action, it is doing. Kindness without action is nothing. Without action, Kindness has no way of affecting others, no way of making them feel Loved, no way of connecting people. More than any of the other fruits, Kindness naturally creates relationships, it births community.
With two words as intertwined as Goodness and Kindness in the list of fruits, it might be helpful to clarify how this Kindness flows. The age old “Golden Rule” may give us the best insight into this. Treat others how you want to be treated. That formula doesn’t really work if we don’t truly understand our identity. If we don’t understand how we deserve to be treated as Sons and Daughters of God, then how can we possibly treat others the same way? How amazing would it be if we were all able to look at those around us as Princes and Princesses of the most high King of Kings? If we were able to treat them that way but also know that the treatment was to be reciprocated.
Kindness is not enablement or being walked over or something that doesn’t create connection. It is carrying our cross and helping support our neighbors’ too. It is knowing when to accept the assistance of others with our own burdens. I think it is actually beautiful, the same word used for the fruit of Kindness in Galatians is used when Jesus says that his “yoke is easy”. No matter how heavy the burden, when your yoke is Kindness, linking you to all the believers around you, the burden will always feel light. This is Kindness, the actions that support one another in community, and invite others into that community.
Towards the beginning of the year I heard a beautiful story from our head of school that I have not had the chance to share yet. One of our young Pre-K friends was having some trouble adjusting at the beginning of the school year. Her little body could not contain her endless energy and it at times could lead to some hitting or kicking behaviors that hurt her peers. When this was beginning to happen on the playground one day, one of our first graders, Chloe, pulled her to the side to talk. Chloe told her that she knew how she felt, and that it would be ok, but that hitting and kicking people was not a good idea and instead they should just play together for today. And the Pre-k student immediately straightened up and just kept playing with Chloe. It was a moment of Kindness, not allowing chaos, but correcting it. A moment that connected them, an action that lifted the burden off one to share it with the other. It is what is ingrained in MOA students, and a quality that we hope only strengthens as their time at MOA and their own individual relationships with God continue to grow.
Ethan Essex
Mighty Oak Supplies Lists!!!
As we start looking forward to the Spring Semester we are looking again at our supplies for the rest of the year. If you would like to support through purchasing supplies, it’s not too late. You can find those lists here:
Supply Wishlist: https://a.co/4IDGPaN
Snack List: https://a.co/g4DnQYr
Merriment Online!!
If you are missing browsing our shelves, don’t fret, there are plenty of ways to browse online. To view our ebay store click here. If you want to view our larger items visit our Facebook Marketplace here. We are still accepting donations, if you would like to donate call (502) 930-9006. Check out one of this week’s featured items below, we have a whole selection of woodworking items for the woodworker in your life.
Fish Fry Open!!!
The Fish Fry is OPEN! We look forward to seeing you so you can get your fix of fish, churched up tots, or whatever else is calling your name!
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.