Small Acts of Kindness: Thank You!

By Bonita Y. McCoy

 In Lysa Terkeurst’s book The Best Yes, she tells us that two of the most important words in the English language are yes and no. Why? Because they guide the direction of our lives.

How we use these two words and when we use them can change us forever. These words seem so little, but if you think about it, it’s true. These two words are potent.

I would like, however, to add a third set of words.

Thank You. 

This month, my focus is on thankfulness, so today, I wanted to unpack the importance of saying “Thank You.”

I believe that when we say thank you to others we are doing several things. We’re admitting that we needed help: we are acknowledging their talents or expertise in an area, and we are showing gratitude for their willingness to come to our aid.

In the same way, I believe when we say thank you to our Father we are humbling ourselves and acknowledging that we can’t do life without him. As King David said it is in him that we live, and move, and have our being.

The Lord loves a contrite and humble heart. Through thanksgiving, we keep our hearts tender before him. Showing gratitude, allows us to be aware of the goodness and kindness of our God, giving him the glory for all the good things he does.

Today, I challenge you to look for God’s goodness and take a moment to give thanks. It will lift your heart and remind you how much he loves you.

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Hello! I’m Bonita Y. McCoy. I hail from the Great State of Alabama where I live on a five-acre farm with three horses, two dogs, two cats, and one husband who I’ve had for over twenty-five years. I am a mother to three mostly grown sons and one beautiful daughter-in-law who joined us from Japan. I love God, and I love to write. My blog is an expression of both these passions. Drop by and visit. www.beautifulpiecesofgrace.blogspot.com 

Small Acts of Kindness: The Loving Heart of a Prayer Warrior

by Bonita Y. McCoy

I wait for her to answer. I am upset, unsettled, and unsure.

I am reaching out, so I run to the person I think can help.

I hear her voice, “Hello?” And I begin.

Every family needs one, and my family has been blessed to have her, my Aunt Jeanne, the prayer warrior.

She is the one who diligently listens to those who seek her out, and then with patience and kindness, she points them to the Lord through his word and her prayers.

But she doesn’t just listen once; no, she walks the journey with you.

The year I graduated from college was a very lonely year. I watched as friends were pairing off, getting married. I longed for companionship but didn’t want just anyone. I wanted the right one, God’s best for me.

Over the course of that year, I visited Aunt Jean about once every two weeks. We would sit in her living room, her in the recliner rocker and me sprawled out on the carpeted floor. We would talk about life, and she would listen to my heart as it spilled out.

Once I was done, she would bring out the Word of the Lord, and we would apply His truths to my situation.

One verse that we kept returning to was Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”

Then she would take all my anxiety, fears, and questions and gather them up, and we would go before the Lord in prayer.

I have been married now for twenty-seven years. I can attest to the fact that when the desire comes it is a tree of life.

And Aunt Jeanne is still praying, still leading us to God’s truth, still answering our calls.

She rejoices with us when we have succeeded, and she cries with us when we mourn. But she never, ever stops praying.

Her loving heart of a prayer warrior has been a bedrock in our family.

There is no scale to measure the extent of her reach because of her kindness shown through her diligence in prayer.

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Hello! I’m Bonita Y. McCoy. I hail from the Great State of Alabama where I live on a five-acre farm with three horses, two dogs, two cats, and one husband who I’ve had for over twenty-five years. I am a mother to three mostly grown sons and one beautiful daughter-in-law who joined us from Japan. I love God, and I love to write. My blog is an expression of both these passions. Drop by and visit. www.beautifulpiecesofgrace.blogspot.com 

Small Acts of Kindness: Shout out to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department

By Bonita Y. McCoy

My friend was nervous. She had never shot a gun before. As we entered the classroom, one of the instructors sat at a table to inspect our guns to make sure none of them were loaded.

I’d brought my gun unloaded, but the magazine I carried still had ammunition in it. The officer took the bullets out and handed them back to me.

“Go put these in your car.”

They were serious about safety. No Ammo allowed.

As the night progressed, each of the three officers took turns presenting material about gun safety, how to operate a revolver and a semiautomatic, what the laws were in the state of Alabama, and real life scenarios that made us think. They asked us to consider whether we could pull the trigger or not.

The class lasted about three hours, and we were given a map to the gun range where we were to meet that Saturday to put our instruction into practice.

Saturday morning came, and the ladies of the church gathered with their guns. Some, like my friend, were still nervous, but the Deputies of the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department encouraged us through both their words and their actions.

They calmly explained step by step what we were to do.

Once we were on the firing line, there were five deputies present in order to ensure we received the attention and instruction that we needed.

I was impressed with their great attitudes and wonderful encouragement. Then I found out that these guys were there as volunteers. It blew me away. They had willingly given of their time to teach a bunch of ladies how to operate their guns giving us the experience and knowledge we needed to keep us and others safe.

At the end of the lesson, I found out that they do this several times throughout the year.

So, I wanted to give a big shout out to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department for volunteering their time in order to make their community safer.

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Hello! I’m Bonita Y. McCoy. I hail from the Great State of Alabama where I live on a five-acre farm with three horses, two dogs, two cats, and one husband who I’ve had for over twenty-five years. I am a mother to three mostly grown sons and one beautiful daughter-in-law who joined us from Japan. I love God, and I love to write. My blog is an expression of both these passions. Drop by and visit. www.beautifulpiecesofgrace.blogspot.com