Are we willing to look around ourselves, regardless of personal circumstances, and love another human being on purpose?
I came across this story yesterday. As I re-read it, so many years later, I thought I would share it again.
Although this occurred years ago, it reminds me of His goodness imprinted throughout my life – in big ways and small. And if His goodness imprints throughout my life in these ways, I know that His goodness imprints throughout your life, too.
I have thought more deeply about God’s kisses as I write this preamble. I recognise something I have always known. The kisses that I so often write about, the acts of His kindness that flow towards my being, and that flow out from my being, are indeed the kisses that He kisses with His mouth as found in Song of Songs (see Song of Songs 1:2). They carry forth the breath of God.
That may seem obvious. Of course, His kiss is a kiss from His mouth.
But wait!
He kisses us with the kisses of His mouth in so many ways. In each way, if we will become more aware, more present to Him in that moment, there will be an invitation each time to breathe Him in. And yes, I understand we breathe Him in all the time – but what He longs for (I believe) is our being present to Him. He is always present to us, so will we turn to see?
He kisses us in moments of worship, in moments of solitude as we are still (Psalm 46:10), in moments of reading His word, in moments of prayer, etc. He kisses us in so many individual moments of what most of us would primarily identify as Christian activities. But, He also kisses us as we go about life. Indeed, He gives fat wet sloppy kisses through people, happenings, coincidences, sights, sounds, tastes, feelings, thoughts, fragrances and knowings etc. It’s just being aware and alert to the possibility of these moments, stopping and turning to see like Moses in Exodus 3:4 as we go about our day.
So the challenge (as I so often teach) is in recognising His hand (or His kiss) in those moments that we find ourselves in – as we go about our day, as well as in those moments of quietness with Him.
If we will recognise the moments and turn to face Him, we will catch the breath of intimacy with Father. For, in a kiss, there is an exchange of breath and it is His breath that transforms and brings life. It is His breath that so many of us yearn for. Of course, we are positionally face to face regardless of our awareness of Him, but oh to breathe Him in with intentionality, to turn to taste and see that He is good – now that is heart’s desire fulfilled and overflowing.
The friend in this story is still a friend, and she continues to shine through her acts of kindness. She does not identify as a Christian. Regardless, she resonates with Love. God adores her just as she is, and through her acts of kindness, He loves others – myself included. His creation shines of His goodness regardless of belief systems.
The story is simple, and so it serves as a message for those seeking the grand expressions of God’s love at all times. It’s recognising the little things and celebrating them that makes life so rich with His goodness.
I hope this story will also encourage many to step out with an act of kindness regardless of self situations.
But most of all, I hope it encourages us to better recognise the supposedly insignificant moments of Love expressed towards us by God. There is no striving to receive His acts of love, His kisses. Neither are His actions always grand and sweeping. Indeed, inconsequential moments that speak of Love’s grand devotion towards us are powerful – if we will just stop, turn to see.
This interaction was a brief love letter to me. My friend, through a simple act of kindness, showed God’s love to me, regardless of her own times of turmoil and grief. It is a reminder that we do not need to have it all together to affect those around us as we go. In fact, we can be a mess, and still impact.
My story reads:
Today I was the recipient of a chocolate cake kiss. No, it was not a mucky, wet chocolate cake kiss from my children; but a chocolate cake kiss from a friend, a beautiful friend who intentionally loved me regardless of being in a time of grief and sadness.
A few weeks back, my friend (who has a daughter at my son’s kindergarten) received news that both her parents had died in a car crash. It was a privilege to be available to support her and her family with some practical things. She also allowed me to pray for her and release God’s love and peace for them more than once in a time of great turmoil.
My friend is a beautiful person. She’s kind, caring, honest, compassionate, encouraging and, amid a time of great traumatic grief, she saw me.
I had been struggling with a nasty cold. I was living in a mess from having a recently collapsed ceiling replaced in one of our rooms by plasterers, and fumes pervaded my home left by the painters who followed.
Despite of her own sadness, my friend saw me. She went home after a kindergarten drop off and made me a chocolate cake with her 2-year-old-son. I was dropping her daughter home that day, and when I did, she presented me with a heart -shaped chocolate cake gift, with the words inscribed in icing,
‘… with love xxx.’
It was a chocolate cake kiss of love for my family and I.
Her act of kindness humbled me.
Her act of kindness challenged me.
And so now, I challenge you.
Are we, as Christ’s representatives on Earth, willing to love another on purpose, regardless of what is happening in our own worlds?
Can we see God’s kisses amid challenge, change, and grief?
If we breathe him in as He kisses us, by turning to see His goodness, His kindness, we will have enough to breathe Him out to those around us.
If we will turn to see and breathe Him in during those moments as we go about our day, regardless of what is happening, we will have God’s breath to exhale on another.
I had exhaled His love upon her in a tragic moment weeks before, and in typical God style, He had breathed back upon me through her. I was the recipient of a chocolate cake kiss from God. A kiss given through a girl who was kind, caring and loving, regardless of what was going on in her world.
She sets a standard.
Let’s look to see God’s kisses throughout our day. Celebrate the large and the small. Breathe in His kisses of Love, for on those kisses carry the breath of God. As we breathe Him in, let’s also look beyond to the ones we see before us. See them in their need and offer Him, whether it be an act of loving kindness, a word of encouragement, a smile, a helping hand. For Love (the noun) expresses Himself as a verb, primarily through us, His living love letters – we are His Love in action.
And so, will you follow my friend’s lead and be a kiss of kindness in your sphere of influence?
Let’s breathe Him in, and then breathe Him out, because, in doing so, we become the hands and feet of God in a hurting world. As we do, we and the world will taste and see that…
God is Good!
© Beth Kennedy 2023
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I have been ministering to a young man who has been fighting cancer for over a year. This has involved going with him for his treatments many times. The interesting part is that his family, even in the midst of great suffering, has been looking for ways to help others. For example, one young man was in the hospital and they found out that he was there alone. So, they went and visited him and ended up giving him a Bible to take with him back to Denver. It is amazing to see such love expressed to others when their world is literally in chaos.
So, yes, this is challenging but it speaks volumes. A family member was in church with us one day and this family got up to share an update on their son. The mom got up and asked for prayer for a few other people dealing with cancer. This shocked my family member who did not understand why she would do that. This stuff speaks to those who do not know Jesus.
I agree. In a world that is “all about me” to look beyond one’s life to other’s needs and hurts is indeed a confusing idea at the best of times, and even more so to the world when it is someone struggling with grief, cancer, lifes challenges … but Jesus commands us to do so for it is how we love one another that will be the witness to the world John 13:34 … I am not sure whether this girl is a Christian … but I think she is searching or curious … either way she certainly lives a Christ like life and challenges us all … 🙂
The family I referenced here are Christians, yes. My family member is not, so it spoke to him. You are right about it challenge us, though.
This is beautiful!!! Sorry I am late getting here. I am thankful for the love shown to you in your time of need. God is so very good. Please allow me to share a story of the love shown to me recently.
I have been having a time juggling my life lately (my lack of blogging may have given it away). During a particularly hard week-physically- I received a phone call from a VERY BUSY woman and colleague. She asked if she could come over. I was at home in my mixed matched PJ’s, no make-up, and a mess really. I sensed that I needed to let her come. Within 10 minutes she was at my door and stayed for 2 hours. She embraced me, prayed with me, and visited….she gave a sacrifice of her time and took from her schedule to reach out to me because she was concerned when she didn’t see me one night. (I had scheduled a sub to take my class that I taught). She has no idea of all that I was going through at the time, only a sense that she needed to reach out to me.
She left me stronger and encouraged….she showed me the love of Christ and it amazes me how God will use us to reach out and love on each other.
Today I am back on my feet and rearing to go. GOD IS GOOD!
Hey there. I am so glad YOU were the recipient of loving kindness!
Always feel free to send out an SOS …
Yours is a beautiful story of the Body being the Body and I trust you remain up and running … Thriving and with a fullness if joy that is enviable 🙂
Blessings and yes … God is Good!
Sent from my iPhone
Thank you for your great encouragement to keep on living, keep on loving and keep on giving no matter what we are experiencing. i have been encouraged this morning to make a cake and give a “chocolate cake kiss” to a great friend who is faithful in friendship and prayer…..and always giving!! God is good and I am thankful for the continual reminders!! Thanks to you and to HIM!!
Hi there. Thank you so much for your encouragement and comments. I will forward your comments onto my friend who has just come back from a tough trip to where her parents died and your comments will, I am sure, encourage her. Blessings!