News of a simple act of kindness on a New
York subway has gone around the world. A young man, head covered by a hooded
sweatshirt, fell asleep on the shoulder of an older passenger. When someone
else offered to wake the young rider, the older man quietly said, “He must have
had a long day. Let him sleep. We’ve all been there.” Then he let the tired
fellow rider sleep on his shoulder for the better part of the next hour, until
the older man gently eased away to get up for his stop. In the meantime,
another passenger snapped a photograph and posted it on social media, and it
went viral.
The man’s kindness seems to resonate with
what we all long for—the kindness that reflects the heart of God. We see this
gentleness in Jesus when His friends tried to protect Him from the noise and
bother of little children. Instead, Jesus insisted on taking the little ones in
His arms and blessing them (Mark 10:16). In the process, He invited all of us
to trust Him like a little child (vv.13-16).
Jesus lets us know that all of us are safe
in His presence. Whether awake or asleep, we can lean on Him. When we’re
exhausted, He provides a safe place for us to rest.