Throw Kindness Like Confetti
I have a confession to make: I do not like glitter at all. If you ever see a children’s craft coming out of Sunday school that contains glitter, assume something terrible has happened to me, and the children have been let loose in the supply closet where the glitter is tucked away. Far away. I have a very good reason for not liking glitter. At our wedding reception, some of our friends decided it would be fun to load up the air vents in our relatively new car with glitter and turn the air vents to high. So when we got into the car to drive away, we turned the key and were immediately hit with glitter shooting out of the vents at full blast. We were still cleaning glitter out of that car on our fifth anniversary. In a way, I consider my aversion to glitter and its use during Sunday school to be an act of kindness toward parents—no mess to take home, no finding glitter years from now in the backseat of your car. You’re welcome.
Confetti ranks right up there on my list of deplorable items as well. Sure, it’s fun at the end of a hockey game to celebrate our team’s win, but then again I don’t have to sweep it up. God bless the cleaning crew. I can’t even begin to imagine Times Square on New Year’s Eve. And every year my family now opens our birthday cards from my awesome mother-in-law with timid expectation because she is known for putting mounds of confetti into the card. Let’s just say we found out the hard way the first time it happened. Confetti in the birthday cake? Not so fun and a tragic waste of cake in my opinion.
Why am I talking so much about glitter and confetti? I have a point, I promise. On a recent Pinterest search I came across a bulletin board idea that read: “Throw Kindness Like Confetti.” Now, the thought of people throwing confetti or using glitter gives me the chills, but it made me think. Glitter and confetti are a lot like kindness. Despite my loathing, they are usually associated with something happy and exciting and joyful celebration. Kindness should definitely make people happy and joyful. And this time of year, the birth of our Savior on Christmas is certainly something exciting and worth celebrating. Now, don’t ask me to decorate with glitter or throw confetti on Christmas morning, but we can all celebrate his birth and honor him in the coming new year by following his example. Jesus came into the world to bring a message of love and hope and redemption to all people. He showed kindness to all, including his enemies. He loved everyone, even the unlovable. He came to heal and serve the broken. We have the chance to reset our priorities in the coming year to be more like Jesus. Our words can speak love and encouragement, not judgment and criticism. We can share the truth of God’s amazing love. Our actions can be reminders of God’s love for all people, not just fellow Christians. We can serve one another with a joyful and generous heart rather than to avoid feeling guilty.
Just like a single piece of glitter, kindness can be small and subtle, but can bring a speck of light to a dull space. We can be the light of Jesus in our darkened world.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
And just like glitter and confetti, kindness sticks. To everything. Even when you think the last piece has been cleared away, remnants can still be found, even years later. A single act of kindness toward someone can have lasting results. Being kind to someone can motivate them to be kind to someone else. It can be the reason someone turns toward Christ instead of runs away. And just like the glitter flying out of our car vent, kindness can be a surprise. It can be delivered anytime, anywhere. By yourself, as a family, or as a group. You are never too young or too old to be kind.
Let’s celebrate Jesus by throwing our kindness into the world like confetti. Let our kindness extend to anyone who happens to be nearby. Show others the pure joy that can be found in Jesus. Let everyday be an opportunity to share God’s message with the world. A quick search on Google or Pinterest will give you hundreds of ways you can be kind each day if you need help getting started. And if you would like to share some ways you have shown God’s kindness, check out our children’s ministry bulletin board coming in January. We’d love to hear from you!