Some acts of kindness have an immediate, obvious effect. Others create long-lasting bonds that bless an entire community. Both are equally important to create.
My husband’s childhood friend recently started a family by welcoming their first baby into their home. Right after his wife gave birth, he called my husband to tell him the good news.
We were so happy for them! Soon after, he told us his wife had some complications. Their family was healthy and happy, but they ran into some bumps along the way.
How Could We Help?
My loving, compassionate husband wanted to visit them right away. He wanted to show how much he cared and offer any help we could. I knew that they had plenty of family in town doing chores and watching the baby, so I considered what we could do for them.
If you guessed the BTB method, you were right! For about a week, I thought about the possibilities. Finally, I came up with the idea to bring the new family a basket of goodies. We headed over to the store and curated a gift basket for the new mom.
Her husband texted us recommendations, and we found the cutest card to write little notes in. Most of the gifts we bought were treats that the couple didn’t have the time to buy because of their new responsibility—bath bombs, chocolate, and sugary snacks.
When they opened the door to our smiling faces and overflowing gift basket, they were pretty surprised! We were welcomed into the living room where we settled in and met their newest family member.
Build Then Bless Let Us Lend an Ear
Once we started talking, we got the full story—after giving birth, our friend was rushed to emergency surgery. The dad was left worried out of his mind while trying to take care of the new baby.
We could tell it was a scary experience for the young couple, and we tried to comfort them as much as we could. Eventually, the new mom and I started our own conversation about the obstacles of her entire pregnancy.
I didn’t know her super well. We had hung out a couple of times when our husbands wanted to get together, but we each had our own friends and didn’t see each other often. Despite that, we were able to really bond. She explained their new struggles as a family and even gave me some advice for the future.
We talked for hours until we figured they needed some rest and said our goodbyes. As we left, they both thanked us for thinking about them and letting them talk our ears off. And honestly, they did—but we were both so happy to listen.
The Blessings Flowed Both Ways
We were thrilled to see that our friends were doing okay. As we drove home, I turned to my husband and told him that I was really glad he wanted to visit. It seemed the young couple was super grateful to talk and laugh together about their situation—and we strengthened our bond just by being willing to listen.
Some acts of kindness have an immediate, obvious effect. Others create long-lasting bonds that bless an entire community. Both are equally important to create.
By acting with loving and good intentions, my husband and I made a small impact on our community that blessed us in return—and who knows how many others?
