Goodness!

On Saturday was a day of service in the Virginia/Maryland/D.C. area. Our ward has been collecting non perishable food items and toiletries for the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless.  One of the ways we've been collecting food is by standing outside grocery stores and telling people before they go into the store about the canned food drive so that they can go in and buy some of the items on the list and bring them to us on their way out.  I was so happy with how many people bought things for the food drive. Sometimes it was just one thing and sometimes it was 5 bags of items and sometimes it was a dollar or two but no matter the size or the amount that anyone brought to us, it made my heart swell inside.

Yesterday, I went to the primary program in Lara and Glen's ward (which was awesome, by the way) and one of the children had a cast on one of his legs almost up to his hip. He was probably 6 years old and when it was his turn to go up and say his part in the program, his older brother, who was probably 7 or 8 went over and picked up/helped his younger brother to the microphone. You could tell it was hard for the older brother to hold him, because he wasn't that much older and the little brother was bigger, but he did it and it was a tender but kind of funny moment to watch.

I read an article the other day about this 10 year old boy who biked to a police station and poured out a bag of $10 in coins. The boy after hearing about the September 11, 2001 attacks and the sacrifices that many police officers and firemen went through to help out after the attacks that this little boy scrounged up all of the money he could and donated it to the police station.
http://www.today.com/news/police-id-mystery-boy-who-donated-savings-10-03-4B11180302

I have a point to telling you all of these seemingly random stories. I tell you all these things because recently I've realized how generous and kind people can be when we look and when we give them a chance. I know there are lots of acts of kindness and generosity that go on all the time behind the scenes, but I think I've just been reminded to look. Sometimes it's just a smile to a stranger or friend or someone giving up their seat on the bus or metro or a person telling someone when they've dropped something and that person didn't realize it or helping someone move or a person comforting another during a hard time etc. There are so many ways and if we look, we will see.

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."  (Mosiah 2:17)

Have you seen any good in the world today?