Did you ever feel upset that your plans fell through and then you do something unexpected and it works out in a way you couldn’t possibly have foreseen?

Well, that happened to me yesterday and it is all thanks to “random acts of kindness” birthday. My 36th birthday is Saturday and instead of asking for presents, I have asked friends and family to do a random act of kindness for someone else instead of giving me a present. In years past that would not have been possible, because usually on my birthday, I just see me, and what I want but recently, I have been associated with a group of people who really inspire me to think about others and in a wonderful coincidence I was given a book called, “The Kindness of Strangers” and the idea sort of grew from there. If you haven’t read the book, I recommend you do. Its a literary meringue of goodness and written by top notch authors about their occasion to be helped by a “kind and benevolent” stranger while traveling to far off destinations. Each one a little more interesting than the next, but the thing I took from it was the ability we all have to do that “kindness” for a “stranger” So, the next time you are at Starbucks, consider paying for the person behind you, or buying someone’s groceries that they had to put back. It doesn’t have to cost money, but it will cost you some thought. 

I find the examining leads to lots of thoughts about other people and what you can do to bless them emotionally, spiritually or financially. What can you do today to make a stranger have a better day? Think about it!