With all the bad publicity of violent encounters between the police and the public these days, Steve Hartman of CBS News recently told the story of a different kind of encounter between the law and the community. It all took place in Kansas City Missouri. The Sheriff’s Department went on the road in search of subjects and when they found them they went after them in a sting operation, the likes of which this country has never seen. They went out to target people, not to arrest them for a violation but rather to bless them with an unexpected gesture of kindness.
Because of a man who had been especially blessed with riches and who was known only to the law enforcement as Secret Santa a donation was made to the Sheriff’s Department of $100,000.00. The money was given to Sheriff’s Officers in $100 bills. The mission of the Officers was to spot people at random on the highway who might look like they needed a helping hand. The Officers were instructed to target these people and give them a $100 bill as an act of charity and love. You can only imagine the shock and surprise of being pulled over by a blue light and instead of being given a ticket for some violation, receiving a generous donor’s gift of $100 to help with whatever need they might have. Needless to say the random act of kindness brought the recipients to tears.
It is an amazing thing to be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness. It is also an amazing thing to be on the giving side of a random act of kindness. If God has blessed you, in recognition of that blessing why not generously do something totally unexpected for someone you don’t even know?
I’m thinking of the gentleman who paid for an elderly couple’s lunch one day at Golden Coral and told them that he did a deed of kindness each day and that today they were the chosen recipients. And about the man who paid a $200 grocery bill for a single mother whose credit card was denied as she stood at the checkout counter with her selected groceries. Such giving is God like. Such giving is called GRACE – totally unexpected, totally unearned, and maybe even undeserved. But think of the joy it brings to the one who gives and the blessing it brings to the one who receives.
In His Love,
Charles
