Sunday, October 31, 2010

"Kindness Challenge"

The Lord has been dealing with me for some time on the issue of both kindness and thoughtfulness. Not that I don’t intend to be kind, I do, but I tend to get so busy with my own schedule that I forget to look around. Great ideas of sending a kind card or making someone cookies pop in my head often, but I rarely act upon those thoughts.

Just a simple act of kindness lets someone know that you care. It tells them you are thinking about them. It shows Christ’s love to those who need a ray of sunshine in their lives.

All of this has led me to start the “Kindness Challenge” for the month of November!

I will write down one time that I show kindness each day in a special journal. I will likely journal a little about it, too. The idea isn’t to puff myself up for being a kind person. It isn’t a journal to show others and brag.

The idea, rather, is just to keep myself accountable. The idea is to encourage, uplift, and inspire myself to show others where our kindness and joy comes from.

The kind act doesn’t have to be monetary, but it could be.

I remember way back when Daniel and I were dating. We prayed for our meal while dining out and a kind couple payed for our meal. What a blessing that was! More recently we were dining out and a nice man and his wife were walking in before us. They stopped, held the door for us, said hi with a big smile and let us go first. Their kindness made our day.

So you see two different scenarios, one monetary and one just a nice smile. Both went a long way with us. I hope to do a little of both this month. I am praying that the Lord will guide me as to who, when, where, and how I am supposed to go about this every day.

Here are some ideas I have...

•Surprise your friend with her favorite coffee drink on a rough day
•Deliver a crock pot dinner to a friend when they have a hectic day
•Deliver a meal to someone who is sick
•Stop by the neighbors with a plate of fresh cookies
•Ask someone how their day is…and really mean it
•Send a kind encouraging note in your spouse/kids lunch bag
•Send a hand written card via snail mail (so much better than email)
•Lend a kind word to someone who looks down
•Reach out to someone you have never talked to before

I am asking for you to join me this month!

Let's show kindness in everyday ways.

If you are with me on this journey please leave me a comment and let me know you are joining in!!





This post is linked to Works for me Wednesday at www.wearethatfamily.com

17 comments:

cherielynn09 said...

Katie....I say it every week...I LOVE Faith of a Foodie!!!

You & me...girl...on that kindness thing....it comes back to haunt me ALL the time...I get a littl snippy with a slow cashier...or get all tense when I'm behind a S-L-O-W driver and horn curse them...the list goes on and on....I am not IMMEDIATELY convicted when I lose it....but it doesn't take very long before I hear that voice...reminding me of who I am supposed to be and how I am supposed to represent myself!!!

It's an ongoing battle and I'm ready to join you this month!!!

I don't know if I'll keep a journal...but I know you'll help keep me accountable!!!

Love you bunches...have a WONDERFULLY Blessed Sunday!!!

YES...I am going to church...actually gotta go RIGHT now!!! LOL

Hugs,
Cherie

Misty said...

Count me in! Can't wait to start! :)

Katie said...

Kelly,

I am so glad you are in!! I think it will be a real blessing!

Katie said...

Cherie,

We are so much alike! I know where I get my meanness!! Ha Ha!

I will keep you accountable...if you read the blog...cause I am planning on talking on the subject most of the FOF posts in November!

Love ya!

Katie said...

Misty,

So glad you are in! I know you already have your journal ready to go!!! Thanks for coming on this journey!

Tightwad Mom said...

I love this idea! I am definitely in! This is the perfect time of year to think of others. It is amazing how doing a small act of kindness changes your whole perspective!

Katie said...

Tightwad Mom,

I am so glad you are in!! I know...something so small can mean so much to others.

Mom said...

You can count me in. What a great way to share Gods's love. I am with Cherie, Faith of a Foodie is my favorite post :)

Katie said...

Mom,

Thanks...whenever I miss FOF I sure hear about it from people...but when I forget to post other things nobody cares?!?

Glad you are joining in!

Laurie said...

I have been thinking along the same lines! So many times I get caught up thinking something kind takes money when it really doesn't....a sticky note with encouragement or simply a kind word can go a long way! Thanks for the encouragement and I'm in!

Katie said...

Laurie,

You are exactly right! It doesn't have to include money...just thought!

Karen Larimore said...

Katie,

I'm in too. I try to do something everyday. There are so many hurting people all around us. Keep up the great work!

Love ya,
Karen

Katie said...

Karen,

You are such a kind person already...I know you always do this sort of thing! Maybe when I grow up I will be more like you! LOL!

Laurie said...

I thought of all you today as I tried to convince the lady behind me to go before me in line at the grocery store...she wouldn't! Luckily I had several other kindness acts under my belt already!

Katie said...

Laurie,

You know, you still spread kindness because you tried to get her to go in front of you...she just wouldn't go! I guess some people just aren't used to people showing them kindness...I imagine to some it is downright foreign!

Laura L L said...

Reading the comments for your anniversary led me to Faith of a foodie. I'm with you on your challenge. I need to get a journal. I, also want to reveal Christ to those around me and have been using more creativity to do this. This doesn't come naturally for me either. But the Lord is working it in. Thanks for sharing.

annies home said...

what a wonderful idea Kindness is something that will always be cherished

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