Sometimes giving becomes a fad in our culture. The phrases “pay it forward” and “random
acts of kindness” are jazzy and capture the public’s imagination to do
something nice for people they do not know.
Because these forms of giving are considered random they appear
to be easy to tack onto your already busy life. Excitement is created as we celebrate Pay it Forward Day on April
25 and Random Act of Kindness Day on February 17 or November 9th (depending
where you live). The irony, of course,
is that what had been called random is now planned or expected.
Counter-cultural
giving is more than a fad like this. It is present every day of the year and is motivated not by a cool concept but by a
loving heart. To be consistent and
sustainable, our giving needs to be rooted in God, whose generosity to us is
beyond measure.
One of my
nieces in Alberta recently felt led to organize a Random Acts of Kindness Party
with and for her friends. They gave out
oranges, chocolates, gift cards and cash to community workers as well as
unsuspecting strangers. This outpouring
of giving did not come about because it was trendy but because God had first
given love and the capacity for caring to my niece and her friends. When her party ended, it was neither the
beginning nor the end of her lifestyle of giving. 
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