Spreading Warmth and Inspiring Life…

I’ve written before about the impact we have on the lives of others – an unknown impact. The odd word or action may impress something on someone that we never know about….like the time the driver in front of me stopped at an estate entrance and had to fill in the security sheet. They meticulously wrote their name and phone number in hand writing so perfect, it could have been calligraphy. I was so impressed, I followed suit! It left
a marked impression on me on how someone’s small action can have an impact on someone else without them even knowing about it.

(I’m going to go down a rabbit warren now, but I’ll come back to the idea of watch what you say and watch what you do).

Years ago when I was driving to CCFm at 5am, all sorts of interesting things would happen. Nothing more than the story of Leonard. Every day when I drove along Kommetjie Road,  in the direction of Fish Hoek, I would pass this man who was walking in the same direction. Every. Day. Leonard’s main feature is his hair. He grew it and you couldn’t miss it. Easter rolled around and on Easter Sunday, I saw this man in church. “Oh wow,” I said to Mike, “that’s the guy I pass every morning on my way to work.”

9 months passed.

And Christmas Day dawned. Mike & I walked into church and there at the end of our row was this gentleman. Instead of going up to him and saying, “Happy Christmas”, I overlooked the pleasantries and said, “My name’s Helga – I pass you every morning – where are you walking to?” He answered, “I’m going to the beach to worship.” “Ok,” I said, “when I see you, I’ll give you a lift.”

And so after driving past Leonard for 2 or 3 years,  I finally stopped and gave him a ride. Every day after that, I picked up Leonard and dropped him at the beach. That was our habit – for a few years – until Leonard retired.

(Leonard & I, by the way, are still in touch. It was Leonard that did my recent building alteration.)

Outof  the rabbit warren and back on the story – one morning as Leonard and I were driving we saw a young girl waiting at the bus stop. She was alone on a dark morning, so I stopped and asked her where she was off to. She said she was going to Kalk Bay, so she hopped in and I dropped her off. She did not become a regular passenger, but sporadic and then one day she just wasn’t around. I wouldn’t be able to tell you who she was, what her name was or even what she looked like. After all, I was driving and it was dark. So imagine my surprise when I was at the Mall yesterday, selecting a chicken, when a pretty young girl said, “Hello! You don’t remember me do you? You used to pick me up when I was working in Kalk Bay!” Wow! Of course I remembered her but I would never have recognised her. She recognised me.

I walked away smiling to myself.

I always knew picking up Leonard and a couple of other strangers on my way to work those many years was a good thing. I didn’t need any super powers to do it. And as you read, I was very cautious about first picking up Leonard. It’s not a safe thing to do to pick up strangers, but it certainly helped them and made me feel good.

Those early mornings are no longer.

But I still have the chance to be nice.

Proverbs 3:3

Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Good advice. Kindness and truth.

Thank you Cindy for this! 

Keep the smile going!

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂