Kindness: Lifting Heavy Hearts.

“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up” -Proverbs 12:25

Okay, friends, here we are again with another daily pondering.
And today, let’s talk about heaviness. We all know it, right? We know what heaviness is and how it impacts our lives from time to time. It can sometimes manifest itself like a feeling in your chest, that cloud hanging over your head, that sense that you’re wading through mud even when you’re just walking to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Heavy.

Life throws things at us – grief, disappointment, fear, the sheer overwhelm of existence sometimes –(it’s like the whole kitchen sink is lobbed at us) and it can weigh us down. It can make us feel like we’re the mythological character Atlas who is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. And it feels like we might just crumble under the pressure.
I totally get it. You get it. We’re all in this together.

And that’s where this little nugget from Proverbs comes in. Chapter 12, verse 25: “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Simple, right?
But like so many of these ancient truths, there’s a depth here that can really…well, lift us up. (Pun intended, I couldn’t resist.)

Think about that word “anxiety.” The Hebrew word there, de’agah, it’s not just your everyday worry.
It’s more like a deep, gnawing, almost paralyzing kind of care. That feeling that something is fundamentally wrong, that things are spiraling out of control. We’ve all been there. And when that kind of anxiety hits, it can feel like you’re trapped. We’re alone. Like there’s no way out, and so we cry out for help, but no one can hear us.
It’s like the weight is just…too much.

But then, the second part of the verse. “A kind word cheers it up.” Now, notice something. It doesn’t say “a powerful word.” It doesn’t say “a life-changing word.” It says kind. A simple, genuine, kind word.

Think about the last time someone said something truly kind to you. Maybe it was a friend, a family member, a stranger on the street. Maybe it was just a simple, “I see you,” or “You’ve got this,” or “I’m here for you.” Didn’t it make a difference? Didn’t it, even for a moment, lighten the load?

That’s the power of kindness.
It’s not some magic bullet that makes all your problems disappear.
It’s not a quick fix for deep-seated anxieties. But it’s a start.
It’s a crack of light in the darkness.
It’s a reminder that you’re not alone.
That someone sees your struggle, acknowledges your pain, and offers a bit of…hope.

And here’s the thing: we can be that kind word for someone else.
We can be the ones offering that little bit of light.
Think about the people in your life who are struggling. Maybe it’s someone you know well, maybe it’s someone you barely know.

Reach out.
Offer a kind word.
A genuine compliment.
A listening ear.

You have no idea the impact it could have. You have no idea how heavy someone else’s heart might be. And your simple act of kindness could be the thing that helps them keep going.

So, my friends, let’s remember this.
Let’s remember the power of kindness. Let’s remember that even in the midst of the heaviest of times, a kind word can make a difference. It can lift a heart. It can offer hope. And it can remind us all that we’re in this together.
And that, is always beautiful thing.

Something more to ponder on today.
Grace & Peace…
-Pastor Scott.