I have been thinking deeply of late about my family’s relationship with former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. It’s near and dear to my heart.

President Carter was a devout Baptist who attended Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. He even taught a Sunday School class there attended by people all over the world.

My grandpa was a Baptist minister for 60 years, and he and my grandma resided in a big old house in Americus, Georgia, which is close to Plains. When the Maranatha pastor was away, they often asked my grandpa to preach there. My mom reported that President Carter once told my grandpa: “Frank, you always help me.”

My grandma’s brother was involved in the Baptist church and was good friends with President Carter. In fact, my great uncle was married in the governor’s mansion in Georgia when President Carter was governor.

In 1997, I lived with my grandparents for several months at their home in Americus and worked as a writer at the international headquarters of Habitat for Humanity. We would often receive letters from people who inquired about President Carter. I would refer them to the Carter Center in Atlanta. During my time at Habitat I learned how much the Carters did with Habitat and how they helped so many in need of housing.

That’s what they did, all the time: They helped people.

Rosalynn Carter did so much to help people with mental health challenges. Her spirit of advocacy lives on. Her vision to help eradicate stigma and discrimination persists as well. It’s truly inspiring.

The Carters practiced what they preached. They saw the heart and spirit of people, and they reached out to help and to touch lives. They weren’t into fame and fortune and they gave from the heart. President Carter’s presidency wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t into himself. He was intelligent and kind.

The other day, when some big truck was trying to run me off the road, I was reminded of President Carter and how he dealt with angry and entitled people. I was reminded of my own faith journey and how my grandpa taught me to live out my faith and to treat folks with compassion and patience. My grandma lived with mental illness, and my grandpa never raised his voice with her or demeaned her. He respected and honored her. It was truly an example to our family and to others.

We all feel despair at times. We all feel distressed by the drama and trauma in America and the world. It’s so easy to get disheartened and to lose faith in the good in the world, in what is right and kind.

I never want to come across as a Pollyanna, but I do believe the Carters can teach us what is lacking today — empathy, kindness and patience. If we act like people owe us something, we will always come up lacking. But if we seek first to ask what we can do for others, then we will receive a great reward.

The time is now to look at life with a heart and mind of dignity and respect of all people. Who are we to judge others? Who are we to determine who deserves rights and lovingkindness? God is the God of all.

Let’s be a little bit more like President and Mrs. Carter. Let’s show compassion in a world gone mad. Let’s lift others up and dare to hope for a brighter future.

Rebecca Lyn Phillips is a published author, speaker and mental health advocate. Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.