Everyone expects kindness and goodness this time of year. I know that sounds like the beginning of an ad for Hallmark, but I want to ponder this thought for a minute.

We’re in the American holiday season and despite all of the shallow commercialism and seasonal religiosity, we expect to be a bit happier over the next few weeks. We expect family gatherings. We expect to buy meaningful gifts for those we love. We expect singing, good food, and laughter. We expect
cards and calls from those far away. We expect a lot.

For many people, this time of year does not bring about feelings of family, love, and togetherness. Our family knows a man who says he does not like holidays because they make him sad. Holidays might bring back memories of lost loved ones or children that have moved away. Some may associate holidays with fighting or drunkenness instead of joy.

In all of this, the expectation of kindness and goodness is still there. In fact, the unmet expectations fuel the sadness. Since we cannot shake these expectations – even when they bring us pain – why not put them to use for God’s glory?

If the world expects kindness and goodness this time of year, why not try to bring that about in Jesus’ name?

The great thing about November and December is what I call “the blanket acceptance of generosity.” People you barely know will accept something from your hands at this time of year when they would usually furrow their brow in suspicion. As a former paperboy, I know this firsthand. Mail carriers, servers, teachers – they are all prepared for extra kindness.

The opportunities are even greater in the category of reconciliation. If there is a strained or broken relationship in your life, why not use this blanket acceptance of generosity to reach out again in love? The effort will be seasonal in timing, but the results may last for years to come.

I can picture this happening in the time of the early church. We know that the partnership between Paul and John Mark became strained during their first missionary journey. John Mark abandoned the team partway through and this decision upset Paul.

The question of Mark’s fitness even drives a wedge between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:37-39). Later in
life, however, Paul is writing to Timothy and asks him to bring Mark saying “He is very useful to me in my ministry” (II Timothy 4:11, ESV). Paul had found a way to reconcile things between himself and Mark. Perhaps he found time during a joyous feast day to take that extra step and get the relationship back on track.

Everyone expects kindness and goodness this time of year. It might take the form of an extra step of generosity. It might be an offer of peace where there had been strife. Don’t miss such a wide-open door!