For every action
there is a reaction. If you light a match, it’s going to burn. If you drop a
glass bottle from a 5 story building, it’s going to shatter. When you perform
an act of kindness toward someone else, you’re going to get them thinking- but from
my standpoint; for every action passed on from one human being to another, it’s
not just a reaction given off, but a chain reaction.
Daniel, Sammy and I were sitting at a little coffee shop,
here in Haiti, partaking in one of my favorite pastimes; people watching. We
observed random passerbys and created scenarios in our minds of what their
lives could potentially involve. An old man walked toward us smiling, carrying
a brief case. We all concluded that he must be a teacher or professor of some
sort, and for some odd reason, Daniel, felt the sudden urge to give him a hug.
So, he got up, sprinted down the street and gave him a hug. Meanwhile, Sammy
and I were spying from a distance. (creeping, if you will) They seemed to be
interacting pretty well despite Daniels inability to speak Creole. The man gave
Daniel two magazine-looking things, which we soon discovered to be filled with
bible stories, written in Creole. It was then that we created a game out of the
situation, and Samantha and I determined that it was our turn to hug a random
person, but this time, we would hand out these bible magazines as well. We both
waited for the perfect person to walk by. Sammy handed hers to a young pregnant
woman, and I to a younger girl wearing an extremely provocative outfit. Both
women looked pretty confused, but we were more than happy to leave them with a
hug, the magazines, and only words that we know in Creole “Jesus Loves you.”
Next a very old man came walking down the street. He was
clearly blind, and carried a walking stick. A little boy stared at us strangely
as we hugged this man. We motioned to the boy that we wanted to pray for the
man, so the little boy translated it back him. We circled around and began
praying. For some reason, my entire life it’s been very difficult for me to
keep my eyes closed during prayer, so I usually just stare at the ground.
During this prayer my attention was drawn to this man’s feet. His sandals were broken. I then looked at my
feet, and realized that they were the exact same size. I needed to give him my
sandals.
When we ended our prayer, we all looked up and noticed that
there was a huge crowd around us. Sammy gave him the rest of her Sprite to
drink as I ran the idea of giving my sandals away to her and Daniel. They both
agreed. Sammy and I carefully sat him down on the side of the road, removed the
sandals from his callused feet and replaced them with mine. We all gave him one
more hug, and told him that Jesus loved him. I then hopped on Daniels back to
avoid stepping on glass, and we walked off. Everyone around that had been
watching clapped and cheered for us. I walked away with such an amazing
feeling. Not because we did a good deed, but because there were so many people
around to witness that simple act of kindness.
Daniel hugged the old professor man, which inspired Sammy
and me to pass on the love to two younger women, who may have shared their
experience with someone else. When the three of us helped out that old man,
many people were watching. Who knows how many people in that crowd passed on
the story to someone else; which brings me back to my original point. For every
action passed on from one human to another, it’s not just a reaction, but a
chain reaction. We have to remember the importance of being a light for Christ.
Every move we make could potentially change someone’s life.
