Be Grateful When Kindness Is Shown

I felt I needed to write this after what I saw in the train when I was on my way home from running some errands just now.

From where I was, there were two vacant seats in front of me. When it came to the next train station, three youths, probably from a polytechnic, rushed in and managed to grab the seats. A lady next to them decided to give up her seat for the third youth and she found another along the same row where I was.

The three individuals first caught my attention because one of them rushed into the train as if the end of the world is near and he needed to sit down to catch his breath. I left it as it was after that and went on to browse the Facebook on my iPhone.

What irked me was all the remarks that same youth made to his two friends and it was loud enough for all to hear. First it was about the lady - he said stuff like, "Hiyah! Since she gave you the seat, just take and don't care about her." "She probably felt guilty that you do not have a seat, that is why she is giving it up." He was also using a lot of expletives!

I was so annoyed that I stared towards their direction. Initially they did not notice me. Then a friend of that youth noticed me and alerted him. Again he remarked loudly, "Whenever someone stares at me, I will stare him back!" He was laughing when he said those words.

That was the last straw for me. I stood up, went to him and gave him a piece of my mind. I basically told him he should be thankful that someone has kindly given her seat up for his friend. I also told him to keep all the comments to himself. As I wanted him to feel how the lady would have felt should she have heard his remarks, I told him off that by talking big, it does not show how tough he is but his ignorance and arrogance.

That youth kept quiet but his friend tried to speak up for him. I told that friend I was not referring to him and he kept quiet after that.

I was trying to exercise self-control when I heard those comments made. I even prayed for that youth but when he went overboard, I felt that I needed to rebuke him.

I have seen a lot of these situations and I felt that youths of today have become very insensitive and arrogant as if the whole world owes them something. I am also very troubled by the colourful words which they have been using and sad to say, this is happening in the youths of the churches as well.

I want to blog this to remind myself and all who are reading this to be grateful when kindness is shown to us. The other thing is to mind one's language especially for those of us who are Christians. You cannot use the same tongue for praising God and also mouthing expletives. It may be the norm today but let us not be conformed to the patterns of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

It takes courage for one to live his life the way Christ wants him to. To follow the ways of the world does not speak much of oneself except of his timidity and cowardice. If we call ourselves Christians, then let us live like one and courageously!

"Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves." Proverbs 11:17

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." James 3:9-10