Friday, December 12, 2008

Twleve Days of Christmas: Day Two

Kindness

A few years ago we heard about random acts of kindness. Has this ideas gone by the wayside for many? When we get busy and stressed or our economic situation declines, we can often forget to be kind to those we love as well as strangers.

Christmas is a great time to renew our desire to be kind. It is a time where we can purpose in our hearts to spread intentional acts of kindness!!! Kindness is one gift that everyone appreciates.

My husband and I bought a gift for a child from the angel tree. I prepared a Christmas shoebox for some child in a foreign country. Yesterday I helped make fleece blankets for a local agency that gives them to children in our community who are sick or in need. It feels good to spread some kindness to others.

Now I am thinking a little closer to home. Today two friends come to mind. One has the shingles and one recently lost her husband. I think they both could use a little gesture of kindness, perhaps a card or a phone call.

And I don’t want to forget my own family! Sometimes we can be kind to others, but in our hurry and scurry, we get irritable with those closest to us. Today I will also purpose to be kind to those closest to me.

My youngest daughter who has a toddler and a baby was sharing with me that she thought it would be neat to do a children’s advent calendar where every day was something kind to do for the day. What a great idea! Her girls may be too little now, but I think this would definitely be something that could be implemented for them in the future.

The ways that we can express kindness are endless. It doesn’t take a deep pocket book. A smile, a kind word of encouragement, a few moments of time, a thoughtful action. Options are as big as our imaginations.

If you need some help coming up with ideas, go to
www.christmasofkindness.com . On the right side of the page there are several options you can click under “Ideas for Kindness.” While you are there, click on Christmas Memories and read “Unexpected Kindness”.

Kindness is love in action. “Love is kind...” (I Corinthians 13:4) Let’s spread lots of kindness around this year!


By Marlene Depler

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