Intentional Kindness

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 4-5a)

My life moved in slow-motion. I felt isolated, rarely leaving my home. Too often, I felt lonely and sad, focusing on what I couldn’t do. While my body kept me from connecting with others very often, bringing a homemade treat to a group or serving in ways I’d found meaningful, it didn’t change my heart’s desire to extend kindness to others. Another health flare hit, leaving me with too much time to think and plenty of time to cry out to Jesus.

God prompted memories of when my kids were young, and I began experimenting with baking bread, testing different ingredients, recipes, and techniques. Whether the end result was pretty or not, we all enjoyed eating my creations. Years later, I’d been curious about sourdough and gave it a try, but I never got the hang of it, even to the point that my starter began exhibiting a pink tinge, a sure sign it had its own chronic infection. These memories reminded me of my joy in baking bread and blessing those around me with baked love.

Kindness and Baked Love

Armed with past successes and failures, and with some research which helped me understand how to keep and use a healthy starter, I began again with sourdough. Since my life moved at a slower pace, I made one loaf a week so I could make sandwiches for my husband’s lunch.

Eventually, I gave a loaf of freshly baked bread to my elderly neighbor, who told me sourdough was a favorite and suggested I enter it in the county fair because it was so delicious. I also gave a loaf to a neighbor recovering from surgery, who offered no accolades. What I learned is that being intentionally kind filled an emptiness inside me, whether or not I received praise for my effort (though who doesn’t like a compliment). Perhaps offering intentional kindness is really for my benefit, rather than the recipient’s.

Often, kindness begins quietly with curiosity and wonder, noticing and pausing long enough to listen to God’s still, small voice. In a world that feels hurried and heavy, kindness becomes holy ground—a way of hearing from the Father and saying to others, You matter. I see you.

Kindness in Everyday Life

This Recipe for Intentional Kindness is not one meant just for the kitchen, but for everyday life. It’s a gentle reminder that kindness is something we can practice deliberately, one small moment at a time. A word of encouragement. A patient pause. A generous question. A loving response when it would be easier to rush past. A loaf of bread baked with love.

Notice and linger on the ingredient your heart needs most right now—or the one you’re being invited to offer someone else, because this is an opportunity to reflect God’s love.

May kindness be something you receive freely from the Father today, and something that flows naturally from you as well, because every act of kindness makes a difference in your heart and will be a bright spot in your day.

PRAYER

Gracious, kind Father, slow our hearts enough to notice the people You place in our path. Teach us to choose kindness with intention—in our words, pauses, questions, and responses. May Your love flow through us in simple, everyday ways, bringing comfort, radical hope, and sweet moments of joy. Amen.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

• Where in your life right now are you being invited to practice kindness more intentionally?
• Which ingredient of kindness feels most needed for your own heart today?
• How might one small act of kindness become a way to reflect God’s love to someone else this week?

Recipe for Intentional Kindness

Ingredients

• 1 cup of curiosity — noticing those around you and wondering about their stories
• 1 generous scoop of compassion — caring for others, and tender enough to hold their joy or sorrow
• 1 heaping tablespoon of encouragement — offering sincere words that build up and lift up
• A dusting of courage to love boldly — loving even when it’s risky or inconvenient.

Directions

• Begin with wonder. Slow down enough to see the precious life right in front of you. Every heart has a story.
• Stir in curiosity. Ask, listen, and love; remaining open to what you might discover.
• Fold in compassion and sprinkle encouragement liberally. Offer intentional kindness in small, meaningful ways.
• Stir patiently and slowly. Kindness isn’t rushed; it grows in unhurried space.
• Finish with courage and make kindness tangible. Dust with small acts of love: a warm smile, simply being there, a thoughtful note, a heartfelt prayer, a helping hand, ask a generous question.

Baker’s Tips

❤️ Remember self-kindness first — You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of your own heart so that kindness can overflow.
🌱 Kindness is brave and vulnerable — it may not always be perfect, but it’s always meaningful.
✨ Think of the kindness you wish others would show you; do the same for them. (Luke 6:31) — That’s intentional kindness and love in action.