One day, Christopher Kerr was walking home from high school when he noticed a new student from his class also walking home from school, but carrying ALL his books with him. Christopher wondered why anyone would bring all of their books home on a weekend. Why study when there were parties to be had and football games to be played?
Some other kids must have been thinking along the same lines. They ran up to the new boy, knocked the books out of his arms and tripped him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, landing about ten feet away in the grass. The new boy looked up with a terrible sadness on his face and tears in his eyes.
Christopher’s heart went out to him. He ran over, picked up the boy’s glasses and handed them back to him. He helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, his name was Kyle and he lived near Chris. They’d never met because Kyle had only recently switched from a private school to Chris’ school. The boys talked all the way home, and a friendship was begun. Chris invited Kyle to play football on Saturday with his friends. They spent most of the weekend together.
Over the next four years, Chris and Kyle became best friends. Kyle also went on to do very well academically and to be very popular. Graduation day Kyle was class valedictorian. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began.
“Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is one of the best gifts you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.”
Kyle told the story of that first day he met Chris. At that point in his life, Kyle had very few friends. His life was miserable. He was carrying all his books home that day because he was planning to commit suicide over the weekend. He had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn’t have to do it later.
He looked hard at Chris, now sitting in the auditorium, and said “Thankfully, my life was saved. My new friend saved me from doing the unthinkable. If Chris hadn’t stopped to help me that day, and befriended me, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
A gasp went through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy shared about his weakest moment. And a gasp went through Chris. Not until that moment did he realize the significance of their first encounter, and what a difference he had made by just being a friend, and by being kind to a person who needed him.
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture of kindness and true friendship you can change a person’s life.
Jesus said that we are to love others as He loved us, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34) And John reminds us of that in 1 John 4:10-11, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
You never know how much you can change a person’s life by being kind and loving others! Even when we have nothing else to give – we can give KINDNESS and LOVE!