Random Act of Kindness

One day last week a man came into the jail lobby to turn himself into a warrant. For the sake of storytelling I'll call him Dave. He was with his wife and son and immediately I judged. I was so frustrated, as always, by the fact that his child was with him. I hate watching children watch their parents get arrested.

Moments later a young woman who had just been released came into the lobby, barefoot and crying. She told me that her family lived three hours north, that she needed to call them, and that she didn't have any shoes on her feet when arrested so she did not have any to wear now. I offered make a phone call for the young woman on our Admin phone but before she could give me all of the needed information a witnessed an incredible random act of kindness.

Dave stepped up to the young woman and said, "Here you can step outside and use our cell phone to call. That way you can talk as long as you would like." She stepped out, made her phone call, and then returned. Dave's wife handed the young woman her flip-flops and said, "Here, you may have my shoes. I am just driving home, I don't need them." Then Dave and his wife explained to their son that in life you will make mistakes, some of them you have to be arrested for, but you can always make them right. They also explained, and showed with their incredible kindness, that every moment is an opportunity to make someone else's day better.

I was amazed. Never in my life have I thought to give someone my shoes much less taken them off my feet and left somewhere barefoot.

What a wonderful reminder of God and His awesome presence in all aspects of our lives.