A Twist of Faith on Random Acts of Kindness

Have you ever been blessed by an act of Christian kindness? Random acts of kindness are fun to give and receive. Kindness breaks through barriers. It changes lives. This post, however, has an intentional Christian element to it.

I wrote this post several years ago and because of its popularity, I repost it every December.

Intentional Acts of Kindness

You hear many stories about random acts of kindness. One time, a family waited until their neighbor went to work. Then, they secretly placed a festive welcome mat at the neighbor’s front door. The children in this family liked giving in secret; much like that St. Nicholas fellow did long ago.

Kind deeds are a great way to concentrate on other people rather than ourselves. Children, who are constantly adding to their wish lists, are prime candidates for this type of family project.

However, not expecting anything in return, not even recognition, will keep the giver humble and focused on the giving.

Also, the people you choose to bless may be at random, but the act of kindness will be intentional, as will be the calling card left behind.

You’re B.A.C.K.!

There are plenty of cards and tags to print from the internet and leave for the recipients of your random acts of kindness. However, for my family’s secret giving, I wanted to create a different kind of tag. I desired to add a twist of faith—something that told about the ultimate act of kindness—that of Jesus Christ.

The result: “You’re B.A.C.K.! (Blessed by an Act of Christian Kindness). The card ends by sharing about God’s greatest act of kindness and how it isn’t random at all, but intentional.

Perhaps your family would like to secretly bless someone. You’re welcome to use the card I made for my family if you like. The selection of wording allows year-round use of the card, not just for Christmas.

For the month of December, you will find a cute, free printable of this in my resources section. If you missed it, contact me, and I’ll be happy to send you a copy.

Initially, I purchased an inexpensive, bulk pack of foam angels. After printing out the words, I trimmed the paper to fit and glued it onto the angel. Sometimes, we just use a printout of the cute card. You may want to print the card as it is or think of other ways to create your cards. Children can add drawings or stickers if they like.

Family Activities

Gather the family. Let everyone participate in the discussion and gift-giving. Decide who will receive the blessings. Some ideas work better with people you know well. While other things work just as well with strangers.
What will your blessing be? If you know the person, consider things they need or enjoy.

Is it a new mom? Consider leaving a bag of paper products for fast and easy cleanup.
Is it a single parent? Perhaps baked cookies and the ingredients for homemade icing or some other fun activity for the parent to do with the kids.
The college kid? Surprise them with a small, artificial tree with ornaments sitting outside their dorm room or pre-pay for a pizza and have it delivered to them.
The waiter? Double the tip. The cashier? The butcher? What about warm gloves or a gift certificate?
Someone who recently had surgery? Craft supplies, movies, music, books!

More Blessing Ideas

Concert or movie tickets
Coffee mug with a sampler pack of coffee
A roll of quarters
A devotion book
Gift certificates
Something hand-made
Rake their leaves while they’re at work
Hang a wreath on their front door
Leave flowers or a potted plant, candy or a gift basket
Mail them a sheet of stamps

Consider leaving gift certificates under the windshield wipers on various cars in a parking lot.
Or, if you own a business, paper clip the Christian Kindness card to a note and ask them to bring the card to the business for a free _______. (cupcake from the bakery, a sandwich from the deli, car wash, haircut, etc.) If you wish, you can tell the recipient the gift was pre-purchased by someone who wishes to remain anonymous.

Wait and Watch

Occasionally, our family will wait and watch, from a distance until someone discovers the angel attached to a surprise gift. They look around with a huge smile to see who blessed them. The joy we feel by seeing their delighted expressions proves to us it is better to give than to receive.

Go ahead. Secretly bless someone. You can be as simple or as creative as you like. Don’t underestimate the power of kindness. It can change someone’s day. Most likely, it will affect your day!

Adding Christian faith to the deed may even change someone’s eternity.

Do you have more ideas we can add to our list of ideas for acts of kindness?