Isaiah 6:8

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Random Acts of Kindness Day/Week

This week is dedicated to random acts of kindness.  Friday, February 17th is actually Random Acts of Kindness Day and I thought I would help you all get some ideas flowing for thing(s) you can do tomorrow.  I love doing these.  I have paid for the persons McDonald's order behind me in the drive through and several other random things.  I am giving you the top 25 but if you want more you can click here and see the top 70.  You know if you practice random acts of kindness this week it will definitely help you get in the habit of doing kind things all year long.  Don't you think?  So here is my top 25 list.  Some of them don't cost you anything but some effort and time.
1. Open the door for another person.
2. Add some quarters to a parking meter you notice is getting low.
3. When visiting a hospital spend a few moments with someone who doesn’t have any visitors at that time.  You know there are people in the hospital who have no one to visit them.  How sad is that?
4. Make a new friend.
5. Invite a couple of neighborhood kids over for a cooking class.
6. Collect can goods for a food bank.
7. Leave a note in your mailbox letting the mail delivery person know you appreciate them and all their hard work.
8. Clean up litter on a street in your neighborhood.
9. Put together a neighborhood "clean-up" day where everyone gathers to pick-up trash and to do minor clean-up or improvement tasks.
9. Drop off  some home-made baked goods to your local police or fire department.
10. Say something nice to everyone you meet today.
11. Provide a neighborhood child with homework help.
12. Leave a kind note for a family member or friend.
13. Tell you're children/grandchildren why you love them.
14. Clean graffiti off your neighborhood buildings or walls.
15. Organize a sing-a-long at a local senior center or stop by to play the piano for the residents. Just holding someones hand and listening to what they want to talk about or praying with them can mean the world to them.
16. Shovel snow for a neighbor.
17. Cheer up a friend you know who needs it by surprising them with a quiet lunch out and listen to what they need to talk about. Think about what is bothering them and try to offer something to help them with their issue.
18. Donate blood.
19. Hug a family member.
20. Smile and say "Hello" to people you don't know.
21. Offer to babysit for free. Perhaps you know a couple or a single parent who could really use a short break.
22. Offer someone behind you in the grocery check-out line to go in front of you.
23. Pat someone on the back.
24. Volunteer to read to students at a near-by school. Volunteer once a month to provide instruction and guidance in the arts department. Better yet if the school doesn't have an arts department.
25. Pay for the person behind you in lines order.
I have to tell you that the movie Pay It Forward, with Haley Joel Osment and Helen Hunt, is one of my favorite movies.  I cry everytime I watch it and it always reminds me to do something out of the ordinary and random for someone else....you know...an act of grace.  Have a wonderful day today and pick out one thing to do randomly tomorrow.  I know you will enjoy it.

2 comments:

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Those are wonderful suggestions. I love doing things for others. Hope you have a nice weekend.

Anonymous said...

While these are wonderful suggestions for a normal neighborhood, if I tried some of these, they would think I was crazy and shoot me! I live in a ghetto, and every day have problems with racial issues- I am pushed out of line in stores, stared at with contempt, and hate, must move off the sidewalk to allow younger people to pass- I am white, and elderly, and love all people- I may be blond, but I am not a cracker like the neighbor kids call me.