brittany nicole

According to Google:

Kindness: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate

Cost: estimate the price of

More: a greater or additional amount

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Last week, a mom gave me $5 because she stated that she appreciated me being so “kind” to herself and her daughter in a public restroom. (She looked to be stressed and slightly overwhelmed, so I just kept her little girl entertained so that she could wash her hands… #lifeofbrittany)

& the week before that, a mom from Texas brought me Kendra Scott earrings to work because I was so “kind” to her over the phone.

I’m encouraged by all of this because there was a time in my life where kindness wasn’t a priority. I was selfish. Sometimes I see my selfish ways trying to creep back in. I’m still growing in this area. I’m learning that through serving others, I can always show the love of Christ. An encounter with me should be a reflection of an encounter with the Father. An encounter where grace and compassion can be received. An encounter where you don’t walk out with the same mentality that you walked in with.

How I can be the hands and feet of Jesus if I’m ignoring the needs of those around me?

People need to see the God in us through our response to the wait.

Here’s a story about why you can’t be in a rush to always place yourself before others:

So before I graduated college, I spent most of my time working retail. I absolutely loved everything about working retail, except…

NOT… GETTING… OFF… WHEN…SCHEDULED!

I was an assistant manager at the time.
And since I opened that day, I couldn’t wait until 4:30.

As the opening manager, I wasn’t able to clock out until the closing manager clocked in.

For some reason, I was so eager to get off work that day. So eager, I called the closing manager at 4:20 just to be sure that she was on her way.

She didn’t answer.

At 5, I reached out and called again.

She didn’t answer.

Now I’m like a mixture of frustrated & concerned at this point.

Frustrated because I’m stuck at work.

Concerned because it’s not like her to be late and not call in advance. (She was a mother of 2 kids under the age of 7)

A few minutes after 6, she walked in with tears rolling down her face. (It was a miracle that I even noticed because I had an attitude with my eyes & focus on the clock out screen when she initially turned the corner.)

I asked, “Are you okay?”

She broke down and said,

“I’m so sorry that I’m late but my husband lost his temper today and he attacked me. I was trying to pack up as much as I could for me and my children. I got here as fast as I could. Please forgive me.”

Wow! Now I was in a rush to get off the clock for plans that didn’t really exist and she was in a rush for her life… for her children… for their safety.

I felt horrible.

I mean it didn’t cost me anything to be selfish with my thoughts, but kindness requires for me to wait on others with purpose in mind.

Just like Jesus did.

She contemplated going back that night because she had nowhere else to go. I shared with her that I was the product of being raised by a single parent. I shared with her that my mom was the reason that I worked so hard to be more than just average. I shared with her that her kids needed her to be strong and that God would provide all of their needs. I shared with her words of encouragement. I shared with her that this wasn’t her fault. I shared with her kindness.

At the end of the day, Kindness Cost More.

I believe now that God had me in a rush that day so that I could fully understand that she was in a rush too. So that I could respect the time of others more. And so that I could be reminded that He can only use me when I slow down long enough to listen. She was a mother first, and that caused for my perspective to shift and think of all the sacrifices my mom had to make to ensure that I was able to sleep peacefully at night. If you’re a mother reading this, I respect you. If you’re not a mother (yet) reading this, just remember to extend “the moms” some grace today. You do not know how much of a fight she had to put up to make it out the front door today.

Never get tired of waiting on others. God doesn’t get tired of waiting on you.

I don’t know where you are in life, but I pray that you’re somewhere waiting on others with kindness…

B.Nicole

#BNspired2day

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