Act of Random Kindness

Yesterday the kids and I went to see Evan Almighty. I went with some trepidation as I had heard it wasn't that great and then there is the fact that sequels are often less than enjoyable. We had loved the movie Bruce Almighty and the Christian message that it presented. We like Steve Carell and we love animals, so we decided to give it a shot (though I was wondering how there could be a flood when God promised never again).

Well, we loved the movie. Not only did the event of the flood work, but the underlying message of "a random act of kindness" as well as the message to take care of our world made the movie fantastic! We loved the quips, the animals, and the fact that afterward, we talked about how we can do little things that make the world a brigther place. Indeed to change the whole world, we need to start with one little act at a time. And if we all do it, imagine what a great world it would be. Another movie example of this is Pay It Forward. This movie has been the springboard of the Pay It Forward Foundation and The Pay It Forward Movement.

A couple of years ago, i was the recipient of an Act of Random Kindness. My daughter and I were in the restroom and Sam's and she was asking if I was going to get a hotdog too. I told her not today as I only had enough money to get her a hot dog (she loves Sam's hotdogs), but that was okay as I wasn't really hungry. When we went to the sink to wash our hands, a lady stepped up to us. She said she couldn't help but overhear our conversation. She said she prayed daily for God to place people in her path that she could help. Today it was going to be us. She handed me 2.00 and told me to enjoy a hotdog with my daughter. Neither of us will ever forget that.

Now, I am not going to say that I have commited an act of kindness every day since. But I try to do them often. They can be things like

1. letting a person out in front of me in a line of traffic
2. letting a person with two items get ahead of me in line at the store
3. saying thank you to the cashier and calling them by name
4. not honking the horn or gesturing when someone pulls out in front of me (sometimes I have done this unwittingly and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt)
5. surprising someone with a phone call or a card or a visit
6. making a cake for a neighbor just because
7. leaving groceries at someone in need's doorstep
8. send someone an anonymous pair of tickets in the mail
9. smile at your family members
10. set a special table at home (fine dishes even if an ordinary meal)

These are just a few simple things we can do, just imagine what the world would be like if all of us focused more on doing for others instead of what we can get done for ourselves!

I would love to hear your Random Acts of Kindness!