SOUP FOR THE SOUL

I OVER THE YEARS, I'VE BEEN GUILTY of hastily shutting the front door to religious groups when they 1 came knocking with the intention of 'saving my soul', But earlier this year, around Easter time, a dear friend of mine had an experience that changed my mind and perception towards these 'intruders'. Linda, who recently moved to a new neighborhood had been housebound all week suffering from a severe , case of flu when, early one morning, there was the dreaded knock on her front door. Peering out the window, she saw two young ladies demurely holding leaflets and a book. She knew of a large religious establishment nearby and assumed a message was about to be gently delivered. "This is the last thing I need today," she muttered to herself and hesitantly opened the door. Coughing, she poked her head out and crankily informed them that she wasn't the slightest bit interested in any religion whatsoever. Furthermore, she added, she was feeling quite unwell and abruptly shut the door. The ladies politely turned and left in silence. A few hours later, another knock.

Linda glanced out the window and to her surprise, there at her door were the same two ladies, back again. Really annoyed this time, she opened the door ready to give them a piece of her mind. Before she could speak, with concerned looks on their faces, these women handed Linda what looked to be a dish and said, "We're so sorry we disturbed you earlier. We thought you may like this homemade chicken soup. Hopefully it might make you feel a little better." Linda was taken aback by this lovely gesture. Being new to the area, she didn't know many neighbors or people who could assist her with shopping or errands so the gesture was all the more appreciated. She could only smile sheepishly and sincerely thanked them. With that, the ladies left. After she related this story to me, I thought about how very touching this deed really was. Especially in today's world where sadly, kindness and thoughtfulness seem so rare. I also realized that thinking about others and showing kindness is the real essence of religion.

P.S. Tice chicken soup worked! Linda felt much better the following day.