Sacrificial Kindness

A party of explorers stumbled into hard times as they neared the South Pole. Heavy snowfall had slowed down the expedition and they were now at risk of not making it back to their base camp. Their food supply had dwindled to the point where each of them were left with only a few biscuits in their knapsacks. That night the leader stirred uneasily in his sleep. Half-awake he saw one member stretching out his hand toward the youngest explorer’s knapsack. Was he so desperate that he would steal from a comrade? Had he sunk so low as to become a thief? This would be a crime almost as serious as murder. Then he noticed that the man wasn’t taking a biscuit out of the knapsack, but half of one into the younger man’s knapsack. The younger team member had shown signs of failing strength and this was an act of kindness, however small. The leader felt a warm glow within himself in spite of the bitter cold.

Small acts of kindness can bring in big sunshine.

Henry Wiebe