Random Acts or Just Kindness

I have often been on the receiving end of Random Acts of Kindness.  The first was at a Cracker Barrel in Mississippi.  Two gentlemen paid for our dinner.  It was certainly a warm gesture after being on the road all day.  But, I seem to have a hard time  knowing how "to pay it forward".  Do I do the same thing?  Does it need to be dollar for dollar? Or, does letting someone in front of me at the grocery store count?

I have been ill lately and have again been on the receiving end many times----a neighbor cleared snow off our driveway, another brought over brownies and a rose, many church friends have called or written notes offering to run errands, bring a meal or take me to the doctor.  Now I am so deep in random acts of kindness debt, I may never dig myself out of the hole.

Fortunately I found a web site which has 96 ideas.  But, I think many of these suggestions are just being kind, acting in a Christian way which I strive to do daily. http://www.bradaronson.com/acts-of-kindness/.  Seeing some of the suggestions, I realized that I do some of them on a regular basis like "letting a car merge" or "stopping for a pedestrian in a crosswalk" or "letting someone with one item ahead of me at the grocery store."  That got me thinking, "Which is more important, random acts of kindness or being kind on a regular but small scale basis?"

Recently there has been a back lash to being "politically correct".  Some think being politically correct is a sign of weakness of caving in.  But, isn't it really just being kind and courteous? There seems to be more incivility than usual with this being an election year. But we don't have to agree to be kind, do we? So, I'm suggesting that rather than making plans to carry out random acts of kindness, we live in a Christian, courteous, kind way every minute of every day even with those whose opinions are different from our own.

Luke 6: 35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Jaclyn Morgan