The Kindness Calendar

14-year-old Max was a prankster.  He was constantly getting into trouble for the mischievous tricks he liked to play on people.  Most of it was just for attention.  About a year previously, Max’s parents had placed him in the care of his grandfather, and then they left.  Sadly, and selfishly, they never returned, choosing to live the high life in Miami, Florida. 

Max’s grandfather was very gentle and kind.  He knew how much Max was suffering from his parents’ rejection and he wanted to help him, but he didn’t know how.  Soon, Max’s pranking reached new levels.  It was when Max tried to hack the school’s computers with the intention of erasing all the students’ test scores and grades, that the hammer came down.  Now Max was in legal trouble for his pranks. 

When Max’s grandfather got him home from the police station, he gave Max a “Kindness Calendar.”  He told Max that if he would just follow the directions on this calendar, he would not punish him.  Max thought it sounded like a pretty good deal, so he agreed to it. 

Max was very smart, and obviously, computer savvy.  The calendar had 24 steps that began on December first and was designed to lead up to Christmas.  Intrigued, Max figured that since he was suspended from school anyway, so he might as well give it a try.  December first arrived two days later, so first thing in the morning, Max started his kindness calendar project. 

The Day One instructions were simple: “leave a kind note for someone.”  Skeptical but curious, Max wrote a note to his grandfather, thanking his grandfather for taking care of him.  Since he had some extra time, Max also wrote notes to his teacher and the school principal.

As the days passed, Max found himself completing various acts of kindness like helping his elderly neighbor shovel snow and donating a box of toys to a children’s shelter.  He even baked cookies for the local fire station.  With each task completed, Max felt a warm glow growing inside of him. 

On Christmas morning, Max woke up eager to continue his acts of kindness, even without the calendar’s guidance.  He had discovered that the joy of giving was the greatest gift of all.  He decided to stop pranking, as he slowly evolved into becoming a kind man like his grandfather. 

At CityLinC, we do not live life with a passionless philosophy.  The work we do with families and children, or people who struggle with substance abuse is significant, authentic, and purposeful.  Our leadership and staff do well at putting action into our words, and we do it with kindness.  Whether we are working to help a child find his or her forever home, or with an addict to find sobriety, we try to provide a glimmer of hope for someone in need of it. 

The work we do can be stressful.  It can also be rewarding.   My prayer this week is that no matter what circumstances we’re working through, for all of us to be able to echo Psalm 40:3: “He put a new song in my heart, a hymn of praise to our God.” 

-Pastor Mike Howard