Monday, February 4, 2008

Random Acts of Kindness

* Note if you are checking for updates on Daniel's recovery keep scrolling down. *

I just found a neat website that could serve as a catalyst for us as we strive show kindness to our fellow man. Check it out! Maybe it will give you an idea you haven't thought of... Do something kind today!

This year Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 11-17. Some ideas from the website are:

* Offer a couple of hours of baby-sitting to parents.
* Treat someone to fresh fruit.
* Pay a compliment at least once a day.
* Transport someone who can’t drive.
* Mow a neighbor’s grass.
* Say something nice to everyone you meet today.
* Give the gift of your smile.
* Tell your children why you love them.
* Write a note to your mother/father and tell them why they are special.
* Write a thank-you note to a mentor or someone who has influenced your life in a positive way.
* Donate time at a senior center.
* Give blood.
* Give another driver your parking spot.
* Give a pair of tickets to a baseball game or concert to a stranger.
* Drop off a plant, cookies, or donuts to the police or fire department.
* Open the door for another person.
* Call an estranged family member.
* Pay for the person behind you in the movie line.
* Give friends and family kindness coupons they can redeem for kind favors.
* Offer to return a shopping cart to the store for someone loading a car.
* Invite someone new over for dinner.
* Write a card of thanks and leave it with your tip. Be sure to be specific in your thanks.
* Let the person behind you in the grocery store go ahead of you in line.
* Buy cold drinks for the people next to you at a ball game.
* Give a bag of groceries to a homeless person.
* As you go about your day, pick up trash.
* Send a gift anonymously to a friend.
* Slip a $20 bill to a person who you know is having financial difficulty.


"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
~ Matthew 6:1-4


Not too long ago a kind-hearted Christian couple came by our house and gave us a gift card to use for our Thanksgiving dinner. They said that they were going out of town and didn't have any expense for Thanksgiving this year and wanted to help someone who did. I was humbled and grateful. Later when I thanked the lady of the house for her kindness and the gift card she asked what gift card I was talking about and then said that she had already forgotten and referenced the Scripture above. She and her husband are fine examples of Jesus in action! I want to be like them. I want to be like Jesus!

For information on a book full of kind ideas check out the book Signs of Life at Robin's Reading Room.

If you are here checking for updates for Daniel keep scrolling down to the next post or do a search with his name.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping in and commenting on my blog! I have been meaning to stop here. I am all about random acts of kindness, and do a lot of outreach. MY heart is actually more there than any where. I really see Jesus this way walking through the Gospels. I also love David Jeremiah...have you ever read the Prayer Matrix?

Momstheword said...

I was surprised to see that I already do some of those random acts you mentioned. I don't deliberately practice the randon acts of kindness but it's what I was taught by my parents. My Mom used to say that "Dad would give somebody the clothes off his back if they needed it." She never knew for sure if she would milk the same cow two days in a row because Dad might have given it to someone who needed it more than they did. My parents took in a relative who had TB when no one else would even be around him. My Mom and all of my siblings are very thoughtful people who do acts of kindness. I aim to focus on some of the other suggestions that haven't been among the usual things, some of which never occurred to me. Thank you for reminding me that I can do more.

Robin said...

Wouldn't it be cool if we all made an effort to do one random act of kindness each day - what a spark we could start...

Robin said...

Hi Darla,

I just checked my library for the book you mentioned, but they don't have it. I think I will request that they purchase it and see what happens. Thanks for the recommendation!

Robin said...

Moms the Word,

Thanks for sharing and inspiring with what you do just by going about your every day life!