A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way: The Paul Betz Story

He came to his first RU meeting in May after hearing a Radio ad.  He sat quietly in the back and seemed a little uncomfortable, perhaps even a little nervous. 

The following Thursday, Pastor Jon (our youth pastor) and I went to his home to make a visit.  May I say that in this day and age with people being very busy, many are understandably not overjoyed when we knock on their doors.  Paul, however, was an exception. He welcomed us with open arms.  He was grateful.  He was gracious.  He was kind. 

Over the course of the next several months, Paul became a regular at the Friday RU meetings.  He was diligently studying God's Word and faithfully completing the RU curriculum.  What made Paul unique was not what he was doing, but who he was.  He was grateful.  He was gracious.  He was kind.  Each person coming in contact with Paul left encouraged; left feeling better about themselves.

In life it is usually not what we accomplish that people will remember,  but what we are like.  Paul will be remembered not so much by what he did as he will by who he was. 

Monday night the phone rang, it was Paul's wife.  She said, we lost Paul today.  An interesting choice of words that described exactly the emotion flooding my own heart.  Lost.  I felt a deep sense of loss.  I loss someone who  had touched my life. 

As the word spread that Paul had passed away, others expressed their sadness. One said, we lost a good man while another said, he was always so kind, and such an encouragement.  It was evident that people truly felt loss.  It is amazing that in the few short months we knew him, that he was able to affect so many of our lives. 

The known saying, a little kindness goes a long way describes our dear brother.  The Bible says it is evidence of God's love in a life.  1 Corinthians 13:4 (KJV) ⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,  In Ephesians God's Word encourages us to be kind.  Ephesians 4:32 (KJV) ³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

If I were to select three words to describe Paul it would be kind, grateful, and gracious.  What three words would others use to describe us?

By the way, Paul knew Heaven would be his future home.  Paul had placed his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation, have you?  For more information concerning your eternal destiny please visit:

http://www.reformude.com/first-step.html or http://www.preciousseed.com/