Doesn't it just fill your heart with joy when a total stranger holds a door open for you? Or smiles at you in passing? Perhaps a neighbor even goes an extra mile and bakes you a cake or picks up your newspaper for you to keep it from getting wet in the rain? As much as is possible, I think we should reach out to people, to display "random acts of kindness"..whether it be something simple or something more grand.
I was reading an article in one of my favorite magazines recently and it talked about how this woman started a "revolution" if you will, on RAK (random acts of kindness) by using of all things..post-its!! Here is what she set out to do..for instance..she would put a post-it note inside a baby changing station in a bathroom in Walmart or somewhere..with something like "Your a great mom" wrote on the note. The next mom who got to use the station would see this..bringing a smile to her face! Or even perhaps leaving a post-it inside a bathroom stall or on a bathroom mirror with a saying like "Your beautiful" or "Someone Loves You". You kinda get the picture. Reading this article..though its been several weeks ago..is still in my mind..prompting me to believe God is calling me do start doing such RAK in this manner. It just made me think of how unexpected and nice it would be to find a note like that myself..let alone someone else. I read that one lady who came upon one of the said notes was having a terrible day..and feeling hopeless..and that small, simple guesture turned her day completely around. Maybe a mom is having a hard time with her kids..and comes upon a note like that..can you imagine that happening to yourself? If I was a mom and having a particularly hard day with my child..I know it would brighten my day to think a complete stranger cared enough to do something....for me.
In the last chapter of Proverbs (one of my favorite books in the bible), it talks about a virtuous woman and in verse 26 says, "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tounge is the law of kindness." I believe God calls all of us to be kind, not only to our brothers and sisters in Christ..but to the world. How else are we to reach the world if we don't show it kindness despite the hate that fills it?
Has God called you to do a "RAK" lately? I would love to read about something you've done for someone else..or perhaps something you received from another! Blessings to you this beautiful sunday!
I love this post :-) I've set a list of goals for myself, and one of my goals is to do random acts of kindness. I love the idea of the post-it notes! I would love to do something like that :-)
ReplyDeleteI've often thought that a passing smile to a stranger may be just what they need to brighten their day. Opening a door, giving up a parking spot, offering to let someone get in front of you at the checkout line...the list goes on and on.
ReplyDeleteI like the post-it note idea. Great post!
Blessings,
Joan
A very nice idea! :) I admit that I don't do RAKs often enough, but I do try to do them from time to time. I think that sometimes we get so busy just living our own lives that we tend to not think about the other guy.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite things to do is put some extra change in the parking meter when I'm leaving a parking place in town. I know how much I appreciate finding time left on a meter, especially when I'm in a hurry!