Tag: Kindness

Help Someone Along Life’s Journey

July 15, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A visual of someone's hand reaching out to help someone else get to the top of a cliff.

Devotional: Help Someone Along Life’s Journey

Scripture: “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre” (1 Samuel 16:18)

Today’s Reading – 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Illustration:

Award winning songstress Gloria Estefan has often spoken about the challenges she faced as a foreign student in her early school life, mainly due to her inability to communicate in English.

Gloria however received assistance in her English language skills and was given confidence to persevere by her year one teacher, Dorothy Collins. She eventually won the class reading prize and went on to study languages at University.

Showing respect for her teacher, Gloria once said, “My year one teacher didn’t just teach me the language; she helped me find my voice”.

Speak Words of Kindness (Proverbs 12:25)

July 2, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A visual to denote speaking words of kindness showing the words 'Thank You'.

Devotional on Kindness:

A little child with learning difficulties had a tough time during her first sessions in class and was coping poorly. During the following year however, her learning improved quite dramatically. In case you’re wondering why? – Well, after her first day in the new class, the new teacher called up every child individually and whispered something into their ear. When this particular child walked up, the teacher had leaned over and whispered, “I wish I had a child like you.” Those words of kindness were the catalyst for a powerful change in the child’s behavior and learning.

Country singer Christy Lane once sang –

Devotional : Stop

March 15, 2017 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

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A couple known to me, took time off their busy schedule to visit a lady who had just lost her husband. Since they didn’t know the lady too well, the visit turned out to be an awkward one, with neither party communicating too much. The grieving wife in fact hardly spoke a word. When the couple eventually left, they felt disappointed that they had failed to comfort the grieving widow. Many months later, to their absolute surprise, she told them that their visit had been one of the most encouraging moments for her during her time of sadness!

We live in an extremely busy world that moves at a rapid pace and given a chance, most people would rather not stop for anyone. In the process however, we could be losing great opportunities to minister God’s love and healing to hurting people.

Sermon: Beautiful Acts for God (Mark 14)

April 5, 2015 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 6 Comments

Sermon on Mark 14:1-9 (Jesus anointed by a sinful woman in Bethany)

Image credit: Pexels

Introduction

There is a story of a child who was slow in learning and did poorly in her first grade in school. However, when she started grade 2, her grades started to improve dramatically. The reason: her new teacher, on the first day of school, would call every student close to her and whisper something nice into their ear. When this particular child came up to the teacher, she apparently whispered into the child’s ear, “I wish I had a child like you”. That beautiful thought had a huge impact on the child and it reflected in her studies from there on!