Kindness and faith are not measured by what we have, but by what we are willing to give – even in scarcity, writes Kayla Kaimarama Willie of the Latter-day Saints.

“I want to be kind to ev’ryone,

For that is right, you see.

So, I say to myself, ‘Remember this: kindness begins with me.’”

As a little girl in Sunday School, this simple Primary song was one of the first songs I memorised, and it has stayed with me all these years. Its melody may be childlike, but the message is deep. Kindness – true Christlike kindness starts within us, in small, quiet ways that can ripple outward in powerful ways.

I once heard a story about a young boy who noticed his father carrying groceries each week for their elderly neighbour Mama Kea. It wasn’t something he was asked to do, and no one else really knew about it. One day, the boy asked, “Dad, why do you help her every week? You hardly even know her.” His father smiled and simply said, “Because I can. Helping someone in small ways reminds us that love matters more than being noticed.” That moment stayed with the boy into adulthood.

Years later, he saw an elderly woman struggling with her groceries and, without thinking, stepped forward to help. It was a small gesture, but a meaningful one. It wasn’t about recognition but about choosing kindness, just as his father had. 

This kind of quiet, faithful giving is beautifully reflected in one of the most tender stories from the Old Testament – the story of the Widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:8-16.

During a time of famine, the prophet Elijah was sent by the Lord to a poor widow living in Zarephath. When he found her, she was gathering sticks to prepare a final meal for herself and her son, expecting that afterward they would die of hunger. Elijah asked her to bring him a little water and then, in a moment of great faith, he asked for a piece of bread too. Her response was not out of abundance but out of belief. She told him she only had a handful of flour and a little oil, just enough for one last meal. But Elijah assured her that if she gave what she had in faith, the Lord would provide; and He did.

“And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail…” (1 Kings 17:15-16). 

This story teaches us that kindness and faith are not measured by what we have, but by what we are willing to give – even in scarcity. The Lord magnifies every sincere offering. The Savior himself taught in Matthew 25:35,40: “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink … Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” 

Brothers and sisters, whether it’s a bag of groceries or a piece of bread, a kind word, or a listening ear – these acts of love matter. They are not overlooked by the Lord. In His eyes, doing what we can, right where we are is more than enough. So, I say to myself each  day, and maybe you will too: “Kindness begins with me.”

I know that when we choose to be kind even in small and simple ways, our lives will be filled with more love, more purpose, and more peace. I testify that our loving Heavenly Father sees our efforts and magnifies them in ways we may never fully realise.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.