A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings. (Proverbs 25:11)

Sarah York is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. She has a sweet spirit that oozes out of her. Actually, all of the Fruit of the Spirit ooze out of her. Sarah loves Jesus and it shows quite clearly. An encourager extraordinaire, she always has a good word.

Sarah wrote a lovely card to me in May. It was kind. It was encouraging. It was uplifting.

I got it last week-three months later. Right on time and exactly when I needed it-truly a word “aptly spoken” or spoken at the right time.

In Proverbs 16:24, Solomon wrote, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and medicine to the bones.” A kind word can be a salve for the heart and mind. It goes a long way. I can still remember the kindness of a lady in Jerry Bottom (where I grew up) over 50 years ago. Mrs. Cochran was just extra kind to me one Halloween. I vividly remember her gentle voice and the excitement she showed at seeing me and my sister. To my recollection, we had never spoken previously, but she knew who we were. Maybe she had heard that we were growing up in a hard place. Perhaps she had watched us race by her house on our banana seat bikes. Whatever the case, we were just kids-nobody special at all. But she saw us, called us by name, and was kind to us. It still warms my heart.

Proverbs 31:26 (KJV) would describe Sarah and Mrs. Cochran: “…the law of kindness is on her tongue.” I can’t imagine all the others they’ve encouraged during their lifetimes.

When the Apostle Paul landed on the island of Malta, he noted that the islanders were unusually kind (Acts 28:2). I like that. “Unusually kind.” Wouldn’t it be cool if that was contagious?

Paul wrote numerous times about kindness. In Colossians 3:12, he encourages followers of Christ to clothe ourselves with kindness. In Galatians 5, one of the fruits of the Spirit is kindness. In I Corinthians 13:4 he penned: “Love is patient, love is kind…” First Thessalonians 5:11 tells us: “Encourage one another and build each other up.” (That’s just plain ole being kind.) In 2 Timothy 2:24, Paul wrote: “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone.” He didn’t say should but must.

There’s never been a better time to speak, write, or text someone a good word. With so many burning the candle at both ends, caught up in the rat race of life, a pleasant word can be sweet all the way to the bone marrow. Who is in your path today that you can encourage? A cashier, bank teller, teacher, mechanic, mail carrier, a child or teenager? Be unusually kind. Let people think you’re from Malta.

I think Sarah York is probably from Malta.

P.S. Please remember Sarah and her family in your prayers. She is going through cancer treatments but not letting it stop her from encouraging others. Now, she is blessing those she encounters on her journey through cancer.