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    100 Days of Kindness
    100 Days of Kindness
    100 Days of Kindness
    Ebook262 pages2 hours

    100 Days of Kindness

    By Kristin Demery, Kendra Roehl and Julie Fisk

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    About this ebook

    Discover the power of kindness to change your heart, inspire your family, and draw you closer to God.
    Have you found yourself stagnant in your faith, wondering if there’s more to life than just the daily routine? Are you frustrated with your kids’ selfish attitudes (or even your own), yet are not sure how to make a lasting change?

    Discover how practicing intentional kindness can change your family, your community, and your faith with 100 Days to Kindness. Over the next 100 days, receive encouragement and practical insight as you develop a habit of kindness that will help you find and give away the love of Jesus.

    (Adapted from The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional)
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTyndale House Publishers
    Release dateOct 8, 2019
    ISBN9781496440808
    100 Days of Kindness

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      100 Days of Kindness - Kristin Demery

      Day 1

      Why Be Kind?

      Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

      ROMANS 12:21,

      NIV

      Tim and I tumbled through the door of the coffee shop on a chilly winter morning. We were at the beginning of a yearlong commitment to daily acts of kindness, and I was determined to get off to a good start.

      As we looked around the shop for someone to bless, we spotted a state trooper, in full uniform, sitting at a corner table with a mug cupped between work-worn hands, visiting quietly with a woman. Let’s get him a gift card, I suggested. Nodding, Tim strolled to the counter, purchased the gift card along with our drinks, and headed toward the trooper’s table.

      Finding a seat nearby, with my heart thumping, I glanced over to see my usually unflappable husband’s smile falter a bit. Eventually, he made his way over to me. Excited to hear how the conversation had gone, I was instantly deflated when Tim told me how the trooper seemed dismissive of the gift, accepting it only after some insistence. The rejection stung.

      That little setback could have thrown us off track as we began our one-year experiment with kindness. It would have been easy to think, Well, if that’s the way it’s going to be . . . forget it. I don’t need the humiliation of a stranger’s rejection.

      Though I’ve never been one to turn down a gift card, I know I’ve rejected other acts of kindness. I’ve deflected compliments and refused offers of help. As uncomfortable as we felt in our moment of rejection, it forced us to ask ourselves a question: Why be kind?

      As I thought about it later, I was reminded of this truth: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Our willingness to be kind shouldn’t depend on how someone else will respond; rather, it should be motivated simply from knowing that God wants us to be kind. He sees our hearts, and our kindness is pleasing to him.

      – Kristin

      — Today’s Act of Kindness —

      Think of a time when you didn’t thank someone for a kindness he or she extended to you. If you can, reach out and thank this person now.

      Day 2

      Snowblown

      Don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

      HEBREWS 13:16

      Bleary-eyed, I raised my head off the pillow as my husband attempted to move stealthily across our bedroom and out the door extra early one morning. The forecast had promised at least a foot of snow overnight, and he was getting up to snowblow a path out before we had to get to school-bus stops and jobs.

      I got the kids up and moving, made coffee, and fed everyone breakfast, and after all that, I realized Aaron was still gone. I peered out the living room window and saw nothing but a freshly cleared, empty driveway. Turning my head, I spotted him—a snow-dusted figure slowly plowing his way down the sidewalks—headed toward our widowed neighbor’s driveway.

      This is not an uncommon sight during winter. When my husband heads out the door to take care of the snow, I’m never quite sure how long he will be gone. Once he gets started, more often than not he does a few extra sidewalks and driveways around our cul-de-sac, especially when he knows that someone has not been well or has a lot on their plate. In our snowy Minnesota climate, this is an easy way to bestow a tangible kindness on those around us.

      Truth be told, it’s a contagious kindness. Several people with snowblowers on our end of the neighborhood have started wandering beyond their own driveways and onto the sidewalks and driveways of neighbors nearby, ours included. It has become a give-and-take among neighbors—each of us keeping an eye out for one another on snowy days—and has deepened our sense of community.

      And it all started because my husband simply took action. There were no elaborate plans, no discussions, no grand schemes behind it—he just started serving where he was and with what he had. These small sacrifices have served to pull our neighborhood closer together, and they are, undoubtedly, pleasing to God.

      – Julie

      — Today’s Act of Kindness —

      Serve someone else unexpectedly with a sacrifice of your time.

      Day 3

      Go Tell It

      Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

      HEBREWS 10:24

      A professor and mentor of mine once described the Victorian era’s attitude toward acts of charity as one in which secrecy was paramount. Rather than seeking public approval, British citizens believed that hiding their good deeds increased the legitimacy of what they did—if people found out, the generosity didn’t really count.

      The same entwining of secrecy and generosity is addressed in Matthew 6:2-4: When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! . . . When you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

      I struggle with this idea. There are many times when friends have posted about a charity or a cause they believe in, asking for donations or help, and I’m moved to do as they ask. Is it a bad thing to talk about organizations we believe in and have helped, and to want others to help as well? Yet, how is this any different from what the hypocritical do-gooders in Matthew did?

      I think it’s more a heart issue—one that’s addressed in Hebrews, where we are told to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. The folks parading their good deeds in the streets did it with false humility—See what I did for these poor people!—rather than out of a genuine concern for those in need. If our own selfish pride is at the heart of our motivation, we’re in trouble. But touting worthy causes out of a genuine belief that others need help and we can do something about it is never a bad idea.

      Do you struggle to tell others about your good deeds? Recognize that there is a fine line between bragging on yourself and spurring others to do good works. Ask God to help you distinguish the difference so you can honor him as you go about his work.

      – Kristin

      — Today’s Act of Kindness —

      Post on social media or send an email to some friends about an organization you care deeply about, encouraging them to consider supporting this ministry.

      Day 4

      Everyone Is Welcome Here

      The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

      LUKE 7:34,

      NIV

      When I sit scrolling through social media outlets, I see posts as varied as the people represented there. I try to look for the good, and I am encouraged by people who choose to speak about love and grace and mercy.

      My eyes wander to our dining room wall, where we recently hung a print of a favorite quote of mine: Come on in, there is always room at the table for you. It’s a welcome beacon over my dining room table, reminding me of what I, as a Christian, am called to do.

      Love my neighbor.

      I think about Jesus’ life on earth, how he invited people into community who were very different from him. I remember that he was called a drunkard and a glutton—not because he was those things, but because he chose to hang around people who were. I’m reminded of the words my pastor so frequently offers us: You can belong here before you believe.

      I wonder how many of the conversations we see on our social media feeds would change if we would be willing to invite people into our lives. If we would gather around our tables and have conversations, face-to-face. If we started seeing what makes us alike, not just what makes us different.

      I wonder what would happen if we chose to see the humanity in one another. If we embraced one another even when we don’t embrace the same beliefs. Rather than speaking in generalizations or feeling that sharing our opinions is the same as sharing our faith, perhaps we need to do more. We need to be willing to put in the time and energy to love people right where they are. This is not an easy task, I know. We may even be questioned by others, but we can rest assured knowing that this is the work that Jesus calls us to do.

      – Kendra

      — Today’s Act of Kindness —

      When given the opportunity to speak ill of a person or people group, instead pray blessing on them.

      Day 5

      Incremental Kindness

      Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

      PHILIPPIANS 2:4

      As a mom, I make a lot of trips to Target. It’s pretty much my happy place, especially if I don’t have kids begging me to buy the new Barbie movie or surreptitiously trying to add treats to the cart. Give me a caffè mocha and an empty cart, and I will gladly wander that wonderland for hours.

      With my focus on daily acts of kindness, I needed to find ways to help others without breaking the bank. It’s fun to give away big-ticket items, but it’s usually not practical. Most folks can’t afford to spend a lot of money every day giving to others, even if it’s for a great cause.

      Scripture says to take an interest in others, which includes intentionally looking for ways to consistently help others—not just by helping in big ways. What I’ve discovered is that, by always having kindness in mind, I continually find little ways to contribute to larger needs. For instance, we always try to have new socks available in the Diva Boutique at the retreat for single moms, where moms can shop for free from a room full of new and gently used clothing and accessories. So I made it part of my mission to stock up on socks to give away at the boutique.

      For several months, each time I went to Target, I would try to remember to buy some socks. They didn’t cost a lot of money to begin with, and they were often on sale. Though each time I shopped it didn’t seem like I had much in my cart, as the year progressed, I found myself with a burgeoning bag of socks in my storeroom. Yet because I had purchased them a little bit at a time, the cost was a tiny bump in my budget rather than a massive mountain.

      Have you put pressure on yourself to do or give only in big ways? Remember that each small contribution makes a difference, and over time, small gifts add up to something great.

      – Kristin

      — Today’s Act of Kindness —

      Think of something you’d like to contribute to—whether it’s donating food to the local food pantry or gathering school supplies for children in need—and begin your incremental kindness in pursuit of a larger goal.

      Day 6

      Use Your Gifts

      In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.

      ROMANS 12:6

      My husband is a drummer. You will often find him absentmindedly tapping out rhythms on any available surface as he concentrates on whatever task is before him. Music, to him, is like oxygen to the rest of us. He creates playlists for every possible occasion, and his musical selections are both wide-ranging and of impeccable taste.

      It was years ago when he

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