Choosing Kindness

Someone was intentionally unkind to me today.

Not accidentally. Not a misunderstanding. It was a choice. And if I’m being honest… it hurt more than I expected.

Not just because of what happened, but because of what I was carrying in that moment.

My heart was leaning toward kindness. I was already thinking about how I could bless her. And instead, I was met with the opposite.

And just like that… the moment shifted.

I wish I could tell you I responded perfectly. I didn’t. I walked away. I felt the sting of it. And yes… I even had a few very human thoughts in the process. 😅

But here’s what I did do: I brought it to God. I told Him the truth—without filtering it, without pretending. “Lord, You saw what happened. You know my heart.” And I placed the situation and her into His hands.

Because this is what I’m learning:

Not every unkind moment needs a perfect response. Sometimes the most Christ-like thing you can do is simply refuse to become unkind in return. You don’t have to prove your kindness. You don’t have to chase a moment to redeem it. You don’t have to make things even.

You just have to guard your heart.

Romans 12:20 reminds us that kindness carries a quiet power. It’s not to punish, but to awaken, to soften, to reflect something different. But that doesn’t mean every moment requires a visible act.

Sometimes kindness looks like restraint. Sometimes it looks like walking away. Sometimes it looks like saying, “God, You handle this—I’m not carrying it.”

And if I can be honest… What hurt most wasn’t simply the unkindness. It was that I showed up with something good in my heart— and it wasn’t received.

But that doesn’t make kindness a mistake. It means the world still needs it.

So if you find yourself on the receiving end of someone else’s unkindness today—

Feel it.

Acknowledge it.

Bring it to God.

And then… release it.

Because the goal is not to win the moment. The goal is to leave the moment still reflecting Jesus. 💛