Be nice.

Be nice. If I had a wish, a goal, a dream, a desire for 2023 it would be for all of us to be nice. That's right. Nice.

What happened? What happened to our culture, our neighborhoods, our friends, our families? Those we know well and those we do not know at all.

I see more people on a device than I ever have in my life. I am guilty too. It's hard to keep the dinging and vibrating at bay. I stand in lines a lot. Grocery stores. Traffic. Bathrooms. Waiting. Lots of waiting.

Recently, I was at Fred Meyer (the best store on the planet for essentials). I was with two of my kids doing a little shopping to feed the hungry monkeys. I was trying to find a product for my wife, when all of sudden a gal started losing her mind, screaming at me and everyone else in the aisle.

"Get out of my way."

"Didn't know it would be like this today."

"What is this? A stop light."

"Excuse me."

I then approached kindly. I looked into her eyes and then proceeded to give her a big bear hug for a good 10 seconds. I then said,

"Hey, it's okay to not be okay."

Everything about this story is true except the part about me giving a hug and saying anything.

I actually just “mean mugged” her and walked away.

I am a terrible person.

What happened? What happened to my soul? Why am I angry? Rushed. Impatient. Unkind. Unloving. Rude. Mean.

Nasty.

Not nice.

What happened to nice?

I can't believe I am writing about this.

When did I stop being nice? When did I start treating people like machines rather than human beings? When did I look at someone with disgust because they did not know how to give the correct cash back? Wow.

I’ve got some work to do.

I’ve got some soul checking to make.

I am sure there are many reasons for this terrible behavior.

Some want to blame Covid 19 for this. We were isolated, wearing masks, forced to distance ourselves from others. This is just the way things are now. We just need to get used to it.

Some want to blame the climate and where I live. Oh, the PNW. Ya it's not just cold up there, people are cold and unkind.

Some want to use their personalities as an excuse. Ya, I just don't do people. People are just not my thing. It's not my enneagram number. Ugh!

Let's hear some truth:

I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another (John 13:34).

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

According to Jesus, arguably the nicest and kindest person to ever exist. His followers should love others the way he loves us. How did Jesus love?

He fed people through love.

He talked to friends and strangers.

He made more wine at a wedding.

He was super nice to kids.

He cried with people.

He cleaned some dirty nasty feet.

He sat with people.

He ate with people.

He had a lot of compassion.

The only time I see Jesus being unkind and unloving is when people were treating others the wrong way. He stood up for the poor, the downcast, the hurting.

I say, no more excuses.

Let's be like Jesus.

Right here.

Right now.

This year.

This day.

Choose kindness. Choose to be nice. Choose patient love.

We need this.

I need this.

Here's my prayer for today.

"Jesus, help! Help me to be nice and kind to every person I see and encounter. Those I know and those I don't. Sometimes when I am hungry, I am not nice or kind. Sometimes when I am in a rush, I am not nice or kind. Sometimes I just want to bury my head in EarPods and audibles, that way I can ignore people and do my own thing. Jesus, you never ignored people. You always walked towards people. Help me to do the same. Forgive me for mean mugging that lady that day. She was hurting and I ignored her. Not cool, Jesus, not cool. Forgive me. I want to be more like you today than I was yesterday. Jesus, help! Amen."