It was a typical evening at Waffle House, where I was dining with my 5-year-old son, Josiah. As we sat there, Josiah noticed a man standing outside, dressed in worn-out clothes and carrying a small, tattered bag. His curiosity got the better of him, and he asked me who the man was.
I explained to Josiah that the man might be homeless and didn’t have a place to call his own. Josiah’s face scrunched up in confusion, and he asked me what that meant. I softly explained that it meant the man didn’t have a home or food.
Josiah’s response was immediate. He jumped out of his seat and ran to the man, inviting him to eat with us. The man hesitated at first, but Josiah’s infectious smile and kindness eventually won him over.
As we sat down to eat, Josiah insisted that the man get the biggest burger on the menu. But what happened next was truly remarkable. Before the man took a bite, Josiah suggested that we pray. Right there in the middle of Waffle House, Josiah bowed his head and said a blessing.
The impact of Josiah’s kindness was palpable. Eleven people in the restaurant, including the man, had tears in their eyes. The waitress wiped away her tears, and a truck driver in the corner smiled, clearly moved by the scene.
As we finished our meal, something extraordinary happened. One by one, the other diners began paying for meals and leaving extra money with the cashier for anyone else who might need it.
The waitress was overwhelmed, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’ve worked here for 12 years,” she said, “and I’ve never seen anything like this.” Josiah, oblivious to the ripple effect he had caused, simply grinned as the man took a bite of his burger.
As we prepared to leave, Josiah did something that made me and just about everyone else fall apart all over again. He took off his small, red hoodie and handed it to the man, saying, “So you won’t be cold.”
The man accepted the hoodie, pressing it to his chest like it was the most precious thing in the world. As we walked out of the Waffle House, I looked back and saw that the man was no longer alone. The truck driver had pulled up a chair, and the older woman had too. They were talking to him, listening to him, and treating him like a person.
In that moment, I realized that Josiah’s small act of kindness had started something much bigger than any of us could have imagined. As we drove home, I held Josiah a little tighter, feeling grateful for the lesson he had taught me about the power of kindness.
As I tucked him into bed, Josiah asked me if he had done a good thing. I kissed his forehead and told him that he had done a wonderful thing. He smiled, his eyes closing, and said, “Good. I want to do it again tomorrow.”
And that was the moment I knew that kindness isn’t something we do once; it’s something we live every day.
