Yesterday the lower half of Michigan was targeted with a thick white blanket of snow. News reports said this storm was the 3rd worst in the Detroit Metropolitan area's recorded history. At least we have a record to show for the 17" my driveway received during the 24-hour period. Today I was blessed with a compassionate boss though who said, "Stay home and stay safe." Churches don't usually get 'snow days'; actually this was only my 2nd in the last 13 years.
Wintry snowfalls like this one tend to bring out different sides of people; for some it brings out the impatient side ... the side that wants to drive too fast or too recklessly ... the side that convinces themselves that for some reason their time is more valuable than everyone else's. But, if you slow down and observe, you will also notice those whose compassionate sides emerge with an almost radiant glow. They are the ones who take the time out of their already exhausting day to help dig out the stranded motorist or help snow blow the neighbor's driveway.
Yesterday at church my husband leaned over and told me that he had observed someone doing an unintended good deed. A woman headed out to the parking lot to clean her car off. Once it was clean she went to get in and realized it was NOT her car. It was the same make, model and color ... except hers was parked a few spaces away. With the snow coming down, such as it was, it was an honest mistake. She then proceeded to her own car and began the clean off process all over again. Clearly, it could have been an inconvenience for her, but at the same time it turned out to be an unintended good deed. Whoever the first car belonged to got a huge blessing when they went to leave.
Tonight my husband and I drove the 30-minute drive to help our daughter out who lives on a college campus. Her car was buried under more than a foot of snow and needed to be moved so they could plow the parking lot. Needless to say, she now has a shovel of her own and her car is tucked away nicely in the covered parking structure. In the process, though, we joined together as a family to dig out another young female student whose car was also snowed in. I don't mention this to pat ourselves on the back, but rather to point out that we don't always need to search out ways to help our fellow neighbors ... opportunities will present themselves to us when we aren't looking.
Whether it's a snow storm or an ordinary day, be observant of the opportunities that can turn into unintended good deeds. Those can be the best ones!
What's the most recent unintended good deed you were blessed to witness?
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