Just in case we need to be reminded that kindness makes everything better....
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The
Golden Rule of motorcycle travel is, “Never miss an opportunity to fill your
tank”. Motorcycle tanks are so small and
gas stations are so far apart that it is unwise to think, “Bah, I can probably
make it!”
Unfortunately,
my brother and I are unwise!
A
couple of years ago, we were riding through Montana, on our way to Yellowstone
National Park, when we drove right past the last gas station.
Several
miles later, I found myself standing on the side of the highway while Kurt
walked back to a highway sign trying to see if there was a town nearby. Then I saw a truck stop. Then Kurt got in. When the truck got to me, Kurt jumped out and
said, “This lady lives just up the road and she will give us some gas if we
follow her”. So away we went.
I am
not sure what the lady’s husband thought as we drove into the yard. It is likely not every day that his wife
comes rolling up the driveway with two motorcycles following her. As it turned out, he was just as friendly as
her. After he filled my brother’s bike,
he turned to me. “Oh no”, I said, “I
think I can make it” (Pride can make you say some stupid things) to which he
replied, “You are here now. You may as
well leave with a full tank!”
When we
asked how much we owed them, the lady said, “Nothing! Just pass it on. Do something nice for someone else sometime”.
It
rained all the way from there to Yellowstone.
And it was cold. But I could not
wipe the smile off my face! We were in
trouble. Trouble that we caused
ourselves and this lady and her husband saved the day for us!
We tend
to think kindness is weak or unimportant.
It is something that we teach little kids as we say, “Play nice with
your friends!” The truth, though, is
that kindness is powerful. Kindness is
one of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus himself is described as the kindness of
God (Titus 3:4). The Gospel message is
based on God’s kindness (Ephesians 2:1-7; note verse 7).
My
motorcycle story took place on September 9, 2014 and I am still talking about
it today.
Kindness
matters!
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