“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4

The cards have been coming from people I know well, people I know a little, and some I don’t know at all. Cards that encourage me to be strong, keep the faith, and trust in the Lord. Cards that make me smile, and some that make tears form, but always good tears.

The cards are sent out of the kindness of peoples’ hearts. People who have taken a moment and set aside the chaos, confusion, and uncertainty of their own lives during this pandemic to focus a little bit of something positive, encouraging, and uplifting on another human being. People whose love of God is demonstrated through their efforts to take the time to place another person ahead of themselves for a moment to help that friend, family member, or stranger face this thing called cancer.

I could not do this without God.

But I also couldn’t do it without the demonstrated love of God that is evident in the scripture people choose to offer, and the personal notes of encouragement they write.

Would you like to see what kindness looks like?

I have a really tiny room in a house in Washington, DC, so I do not have the space to display the cards all the time and all at once, so I took a picture of them all.

That picture was taken in front of my computer monitor, and now that picture is ON my computer monitor so I can see the kindness of fellow Christians displayed whenever I want (or need) to.

Why would a complete stranger care enough about me to take the time to do this?

Possibly because they remember when Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-36

Of course, in order to be aware of another’s condition, people have to use one of the greatest gifts God gave us – the gift of sight. While I was incarcerated I wrote a poem I think is appropriate to the current topic. I took a picture of it to include here, but if you look closely at the picture above, you can see it hanging in the upper left hand corner next to my monitor.

So there you have it. Kindness as defined by people who use the eyes God gave them to see an opportunity to use the heart He placed within them in order that a guy with lung cancer can understand that there are gifts in this disease.

We just have to use the eyes He gave us to see them.

To those who have sent, and continue to send, cards – I cannot thank you enough or adequately describe how grateful I am that you care enough to exhibit such kindness to me.

I am not worthy of the love God gives me through other people.

But I will take it.