It is time for a shot-in-the-arm that makes people feel good.
Earlier in my ministry (30 years ago to be exact), I went through an unforgettable Spiritual Adventure. Committing to do a "Secret Act of Kindness" for seven weeks is what made it hard to forget. (See below for more info about 50 Day Spiritual Adventures.) Actions of care and kindness are near the top of the list of memorable things in our lives.
Leading people into a season of intentional acts of care and kindness can be organized in a large variety of ways. It can be an Act a Day for a week or a month. The Spiritual Adventure I enjoyed challenged participants to commit to one, anonymous if possible, act of care for a person every week for seven weeks (it could be a different person/family each week). Each system has strong points. What is best for your and your goals is what matters.
These suggestions will help you organize a campaign that will make a difference that is beyond measure.
1. Giving and doing acts of care is the emphasis. It is better to give than receive. The goal is to mobilize people to care. Within a church or neighborhood, some will not receive a gift or an act of kindness. We run the risk them being disappointed. Perhaps we can be creative in filing this gap but prevention is best with the proper emphasis of giving.
2. Make the least likely person the target of care at least once. Send a card or note of prayer and encouragement to someone in the other political party. Buy a gift card or send flowers, to someone of a different race, ethnicity, socio-economic group, sexual orientation... Affirm who they are with the message that you believe their life matters.
3. Remember the dependable who are always there. They may be taken for granted First responders deserve attention. They experience some form of wrong, harm, drama or trauma every day. Elders at church attend meetings instead of spending the evening at home. Sunday School teachers prepare lessons during their personal time. Nursery workers miss the service to sit with babies so the parents can attend the worship service.
This list is infinite.
4. Be anonymous, if possible. Sometimes you cannot help it and occasionally it is even better if the recipient knows who sent the gift. But when we are anonymous, there is a lesser risk of wrong motives and the temptation to want some form of payback or appreciation.
Learning the skills and cultivating the focus on others is the vaccine for many of the ills in our culture.
When you help people care for others, what you do matters more than you can measure!
Your life matters,
Chaplain Dan
Rev. Daniel R. Hettinger
303.905.0478
