On the Receiving End of a R.A.K.

We made a quick trip to the grocery store this morning before homeschool.   Today, my goal was to make bone broth because I've heard so many things about it's healing properties.  Since my son (NoNut) and I picked up another virus (after two months of sickness), we are game for anything that might give our immune systems a boost.  And while I'm sick, NoNut wants to "be the man" and take care of his mama while daddy is at work. 

So while we were at the grocery store, NoNut pushed the grocery cart, followed every instruction, loaded the bags into the cart and then pushed the cart to the van.  While I began unloading the groceries in the van, this older gentleman approached us.

He spoke directly to NoNut and said, "Young man, I noticed you being a helper and I wanted to give this you."  He proceeded to give NoNut a wooden dog.  He told us that he was a retired state trooper and likes to make little things to give away to those he sees helping others.  He affirmed NoNut for helping his mom and encouraged him to keep on helping others. 

It was so random, so out-of-the-ordinary!!  As quickly as he approached us, he quickly turned around and left.  It totally caught me off-guard but we at least remembered to thank him. 

As soon as the man left, NoNut got all excited and said, "Mom, I'm going to name him Attentive!"  Attentive?  For a dog's name???  NoNut proceeded to explain how he had been attentive, available and showed compassion by helping me in the store because I was sick.  It was quite a light-bulb moment for him and he received quite a confidence boost through this surprise gift.

Attentiveness (listening with your eyes, ears and heart), availability (being willing to attend to a need when I am called to help) and compassion (being willing to expend effort to help alleviate the suffering of those in need) are some of the character qualities that we have been learning about nearly every night for the past 12 weeks during family worship (based around Character Concepts curriculum).  This random act of kindness (R.A.K.) was a moment from God as He used this man to reinforce these character traits in my son in a practical and memorable way! 

On the way home, we talked about how others are watching us.  This man didn't have to say or do anything, but he saw my son's helpfulness and wanted to simply bless him.  While it's kind of eerie to think that someone was observing us in the parking lot, it was such a powerful reminder that we are always revealing something about our character even in the tiniest of things.  What are we showing others about ourselves and most importantly, about our God?