As you may know by now (or not!), WOLK (W-O-L-K) stands for words of loving kindness. I’m a passionate advocate for words of loving kindness. Walk the WOLK, I like to say. Walk the words of loving kindness.
I’ve had the joy of speaking about God’s loving kindness, writing about His loving kindness, even making calendars with fun ways to share loving kindness. I truly believe we can change the world in small ways, in small moments—with our words and our deeds.
Earlier this month, I posted a May WOLK calendar with small suggestions for sharing loving kindness with those around us. Again–small moments. Two years ago I shared the same calendar. I repeated it because one Wednesday’s suggestion said to smile at children playing. At the time, I figured if the calendar said to do it—the calendar I created—then I needed to do it, so I smiled at the neighbor boy playing on his scooter.
The neighbor boy did not smile back. Actually he looked at me rather skeptically. It was very awkward.
The next day I smiled and waved at the neighbor boy. This time he raised his hand slightly. Not as awkward.
The next day I smiled and waved and said, “Hi!” to the neighbor boy. He replied with a quiet “Hi!” Not awkward at all.
The next day the neighbor boy was waiting for me and asked if I would race him on his scooter. I smiled and said, “Sure!” remembering that I have had WAY too many replaced joints to be racing a young boy on a scooter while riding my pink bike. Back to “very awkward.”
Just a wave. Just a smile. Just a race down the street. Small moments.
Over the past two years, my buddy and I have talked about the weather and English class. We’ve groaned over life as a virtual learner during the pandemic. We’ve continued to wave when we’re out and about. Last week there was more.
Last week as I was ending my “live” broadcast of “Morning W.O.L.K. with God,” I watched the first of nine emergency vehicles rush into my neighborhood. Not wanting to be a gawker, I hesitated and then I thought no, someone needs help.
I went outside and found my buddy standing alone in the rain under a tree, medics hurrying around him. When I asked him what was wrong, he explained that his grandma was not doing well, that she’d gotten very, very weak in the days prior.
I would actually learn that she was doing terribly. After 25 minutes of CPR, someone came out and told him not to give up hope. After another 25 minutes of CPR, someone came and said, “We called it,” medical terminology I quickly learned that meant she died, but he quickly added, “We found a pulse when we went to do vitals one last time. It’s weak, but we’ve still got hope. That means you’ve gotta have hope.”
Standing next to my buddy and his step-grandpa, I asked if they’d like me to pray. They both reached for my hands and I began. It was not my finest prayer. I rambled. I repeated myself, but I got to thank God for being with us at a time of heartbreak, fear, and great concern, for surrounding a dear lady with the finest care, for giving my buddy and his step-grandpa hope. I was able to ask for strength, for continued care. We were cold and wet and miserable, but in that moment, I got to step in with God’s love for them and Grandma.
We parted after the prayer, my buddy’s step-grandpa following the aid car to the hospital. I told my buddy to let me know, if he needed anything as he headed back into the house—alone.
I walked home thinking about the small moments that had bought us to this moment. Small moments of kindness, small moments of loving kindness, had given me the opportunity to be there with God’s loving kindness when life came crashing down for my neighbors.
When we walk the WOLK, we walk with God’s love. In his letter to the Colossians, in chapter 3, verse 14, the apostle Paul says,
“Above all these things, walk in love which is the bond of perfection.”
Love is the glue that holds us all together—when times are great and when they’re not.
Not all small moments will lead to bigger ones. Some big moments will happen without small moments. Some small moments will just be small moments.
My buddy and I will continue to have our moments, and I’ll be forever grateful that God gave me those small moments to be there with him in silly ways and also in a very serious one. And I’ll be forever grateful to God for our time together racing down the street, a special prelude to our time under that tree.
Your words of loving kindness, your deeds of loving kindness, might feel very small and insignificant. You might wonder what difference you can possibly make with just a “Hello!” With just a wave. But we have only to remember that God may do small, but He doesn’t do insignificant. His love is the glue that holds us all together.
Today’s prayer is from that same letter to the Colossians.
Heavenly Father, help us to have compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other as You have forgiven us.
Above all, let us share love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, and let us be thankful.
Amen.
While praying under the tree, I learned that my buddy’s name was Buddy. Yep, Buddy. I’d never asked my buddy for his name. We’d met outside on the street and at the time, it didn’t feel appropriate to ask. Not knowing his parents, I didn’t want to be some creepy lady asking to get close to their kid. Our time together had just been a wave, just a hello, just bicycle races in the street. And then we had a prayer together when I learned my buddy’s name was Buddy.
Yes, God binds us together in perfect harmony.
Blessings, friends and followers. Your WOLK, your words of loving kindness, matter—in the smallest ways and also the bigger ones.
