It was Christmas time last year when Nazha Carvalho, another short-term missionary, and I hiked down the mountain to visit Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan, and take care of some visa paperwork. Knowing it would take at least three days to process the forms, we had booked a hotel that, according to the website, included lunch. “Perfect! We will be able to save money because we won’t need to buy lunch,” we had believed.

When we arrived at the hotel to check in, we asked the owner about lunchtime. She then dropped the unexpected bombshell: “Oh, sorry, the website is wrong. Actually, what we offer here is only breakfast, and it’s just our courtesy.”

At this moment, we had two choices. We could get upset about the situation and create a disturbance at the hotel because of the misunderstanding. Or we could be grateful that we at least had breakfast, choose to maintain a good relationship with the owners and decide to trust that God was in control.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we chose the second option. The days passed, and our last night at the hotel was Christmas Eve. Nazha and I prepared a makeshift feast. Since our room had no mini-fridge, we bought everything fresh and prepared our special meal inside the room. When we finished eating, we realized that we had enough food, drink and dessert to share with the owners. We made them a little Christmas card, sincerely expressing our gratitude for treating us so well and for cooking such a tasty breakfast.

When we delivered the gifts, the woman was speechless. The next morning, she thanked us again, and we saw how happy they were with our kindness. We were even more surprised when, during our breakfast, she handed us a big piece of pie, saying, “I want you to try this. My sister made it.” And what a delicious pie it was; so light and perfect.

“Kindness begets kindness.” What a tremendous truth. Afterward, Nazha and I thought about how different everything could have been if, on the day we arrived at the hotel, we had chosen to get upset. How many misunderstandings and how much bitterness we could avoid if we always decided to be kind instead of being right.

Ellen White states: “It is impossible for any of us to live in such a way that we shall not cast an influence in the world. No member of the family can enclose himself within himself, where other members of the family shall not feel his influence and spirit. The very expression of the countenance has an influence for good or evil. His spirit, his words, his actions, his attitude toward others, are unmistakable. If he is living in selfishness, he surrounds his soul with a malarious atmosphere; while if he is filled with the love of Christ, he will manifest courtesy, kindness, tender regard for the feelings of others and will communicate to his associates, by his acts of love, a tender, grateful, happy feeling. It will be made manifest that he is living for Jesus and daily learning lessons at His feet, receiving His light and His peace.” (EGW, Adventist Home 33.4)

Cultivate the habit of pleasantly surprising people around you. Kindness begets kindness, so do not wait for the other person to start. Intentionally and sincerely, whenever you can, do a good deed for another, not to receive anything in return but for the simple pleasure of sharing something good that God has given you. Ask Him to give you a heart that is always willing to share blessings. You will see that there is indeed much more joy in giving than receiving, and you will realize that the results of this lifestyle can be surprising.

Maranatha! The Lord is coming soon!

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