“A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
(Proverbs 11:17, 25)
We live on the western side of Michigan and have been experiencing a drought of sorts the last few months. Our grass that does not get watered with the sprinklers is brown and dead. Every two or three days, I have to water my flowers and my garden. We have gotten about ¼ inch of rain in the last month. That is good for all the graduation parties and weddings that are taking place now. Rain certainly puts a damper on of these festivities, but we need rain. In the past when I have had to faithfully water my garden, the minute we had a nice rain all of my plants grew so much better. There is something about rain sent from God to water my plants.
The beauty of the water that I have been giving my plants, even though it is not rain water, is that they are growing and brightening up my yard, garden, and flower beds. As I water these plants, they provide for me beauty and produce to eat. My strawberries have been wonderful this year. I have frozen some strawberries, eaten strawberries, and made two strawberry pies. I have really enjoyed the produce so far, all because I have been dutifully watering my plants.
People are a little bit like my plants. People benefit from words and acts of kindness. When a person receives a word of encouragement, they perk up a little bit. It is said that it takes one word of unkindness to undo seven words of kindness. Speaking and acting in kindness spreads cheer to those within ear shot. Sending a note in the mail to encourage someone will brighten their day. Noticing the good qualities of someone and telling them about them will encourage them to continue on in those fine qualities that they have.
What happens to the person who turns out cruelty and withholds words of kind encouragement? It is like the drought that is causing our grass to be burnt and brown. Have you walked on that kind of grass in your bare feet? Is it appealing to the eye? What usually happens to that brown grass after a period of time? The grass is no longer dormant but dead, there is no life left in it and the weeds take the opportunity to grow up where the thick lush grass was. So is the person who gives out nothing but cruelty and unkind words, they are like the crunchy brown grass. It causes pain to those who hear and that pain carries on in the ears of the hearer long after the words were spoken.
Too often those that are cruel think that they have to say what comes to their minds and once they get it off their chest, they feel better. The sad thing is that what they unloaded on the poor listener is now their burden to carry. The relationship is now marred and the words that the cruel person said cannot be taken back. Too often the cruel person thinks that they can move on and everyone will forget the tone or the words that were said. This person leaves a trail of destruction in their relationship wake, and when they are in need they have no one that will help them or the person that does assist them is reluctant to do so.
Not so with the person who is kind and goes around watering all that come near their bountiful spring of kind words and actions. We all walk around with a watering can in our hand. What is coming out of your watering can? Is it words of kindness and encouragement or is cruelty, harshness, and anger? If you are not sure, maybe you should check to see what you are getting back? Is it kindness or cruelty? Do you feel refreshed or dry?
