Bennet Cerf tells the story of something he witnessed on a bus ride somewhere in the south.  “In one seat a wispy old man sat holding a bunch of fresh flowers. Across the aisle was a young girl whose eyes came back again and again to the man’s flowers. The time came for the old man to get off. Impulsively he thrust the flowers into the girl’s lap. “I can see you love the flowers,” he explained, “and I think my wife would like for you to have them. I’ll tell her I gave them to
you.” The girl accepted the flowers, then watched the old man get off the bus and walk through the gate of a small cemetery.”

Have you ever done a “random act of kindness”?  Or, have you been the recipient of someone else’s kindness?  Maybe someone bought your meal at a restaurant, paid you an unsolicited, unexpected compliment, or helped you with your luggage or packages.  These acts can be the fuel that lift your spirits so high.

May I suggest that kindness is not as random as it is a deliberate practice.  The specific impulse of the moment might be without much forethought, but kindness is born of a generous, unselfish heart that is conditioned by love and occasioned by opportunity.  The fact is that much more kindness is needed in our selfish world.  Instead of waiting for others to lead the way, we need to initiate words and deeds of kindness wherever we are whenever we can.  Few things can show Christ to people better than kindness.  Paul urges, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted…” (Eph. 4:32).  God’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, “but kind to all” (2 Tim. 2:24).  Somebody out there is a potential recipient of your unexpected kindness!  Why not perpetrate a not-so-random act of kindness!