A little six-year-old girl, after receiving a lesson from her dad, crafted her first fishing fly in the morning. They then set off to the river, which was sweltering and humid. They encountered an elderly couple sitting alone under an old shade tree, with the man holding a fishing rod. He was a seasoned fly fisherman.
Since they appeared to be the only ones there, a conversation ensued. The little girl showed the old man and his wife her meticulously crafted first fly, which gleamed in the sunlight.
Impressed and praising her highly, they thanked her for sharing. It was then time for Dad and daughter to cast their lines. They intended to read the river and wade out a bit into the ideal riffled water, which was moving smoothly.
The old man needed assistance in securing a spot, and Dad and daughter gladly obliged.
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted,…”
Ephesians 4:32 NKJV
2 Corinthians 4:16: Emphasizes the inner self being renewed daily.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
Philippians 4:8: Directs focus toward honorable and pure thoughts.Psalm 51:10: A prayer for a clean heart and a renewed spirit. Ephesians 4:23: Calls for renewal in the spirit of the mind.
“and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,”
Ephesians 4:23 NKJV
How often do I work on a renewed mind that brings different results? My faithful “Apple Watch” records how many steps I take per day, Exercise! Diet! Time? And, more. It even invites me into a log to record my “state of mind”! Now that’s getting a little personal isn’t it?
I have watched the little girl, wear shirts on being kind, heard about her Pre-School and K classrooms teaching kindness as well as her many wall signs reminding her. Be Kind!
Seems St Paul and a few other Bible authors had this subject on their minds also. Do we?
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“Seems St Paul and a few other Bible authors had this subject on their minds also. Do we?”
Sara, I think it’s stories like yours of this 6yr old, her dad, the elderly couple, plus the photos and scriptures on this blog and other blogs that help keep this subject of “Be Kind!” on our minds.
This help reminds me of Thess 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” Thank you for sharing and providing the meaningful photos to imprint on our minds.
The handcrafted fly in the photo looks beautiful to me. Hope she caught a fish with it!
That sure is an impressive handcrafted fly in the photo above! Thank you for this much needed blog to remind all of us to “Bee Kind”. Ephesians 4:32 sure does state it plainly, “Ephesians 4:32
New International Version
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another,forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Do I understand the above verse in Ephesians to mean that part of being kind may involve forgiving others of wrong to us, as well as the example of the kindness, the little girl and her dad showed the elderly couple in the story above?
I think you got it right Tammy. I might add my little thought now that’s not always easy and really takes a heavy dose of mind renewal! That’s my experience at times.
Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”
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The above verse seems to take on new meaning year after year.
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11) “Paul uses the natural transition from childhood to adulthood to illustrate spiritual maturity.”
My Prayer for the Week as I join in with others in a devotional…
“God of abundance, you provide us with so many good things. Let us be good stewards of our resources so that we can not only have a taste of your abundance, but share it with others. Amen.”
I was told about an excellent high school teacher (one that has many award winning students) yet she has made a decision to change vocation from teaching HS students to teaching teachers how to teach High School students.
WOW hearing about this teacher opened my eyes like looking out across a beautiful green meadow.
A beautiful Christian teacher that has an “abundance” in her basket and she is not only willing but going to share it with others. WOW!
This brings our key word “kindness” front and center to our conversation. How to be kind by sharing our basket of abundance.
Renewing our minds daily. In our story a father taught a 6 year old how to be kind in sharing her little craft of making her fly for fishing and demonstrating how to help an older one still make it to the waters to fish a bit.
The teacher, I mentioned, shows kindness by taking her high level of success to help other teachers strive for their best. To me that’s kindness on roller skates when retirement and beach sitting might sounds better for her.
I’m trying to mature “kindness” in my soul and actions from a child to maturity.
So is kindness a seed like in the parable Parable of the Sower told by Jesus. (Matt 13) and the seeds that fall on The Good Soil: rich earth; the plants grow strong and produce a huge harvest. “This represents a person who hears, understands the message, and lets it change their life to do good.” Take note this parable gives three other places seeds could fall.
If you are reading this you might see that I’m seeking renewal in my thinking about acts of kindness.
Help!