Love Is In the Air

It's the week of LOVE.  It's the week of Valentine's Day.  Do you think of chocolate, candy, cards, flowers? Do you think of giving to someone special?  Do you think of spending time with your spouse or friend? Most likely one of the above comes to mind.

In our home, Joe always gets me something - always a dozen roses and usually chocolate, too, and he also gets our daughter something special.  I get him something - always different each year - and I also get each of the three boys something.  We show our love by our giving.  We also usually have a special Valentine's breakfast for the kids.  It's always something heart-shaped or red/pink in color.  Special things for the special day.

So, that's showing love within our own home, but how can we, as a family, show love to others during this time and all the time?  Yesterday I went to a larger town, about an hour away.  During the time I was there, I tried to do little things that were "random acts of kindness". These simple acts really didn't take much effort on my part, but simply showed common courtesy to others. On the way home, I thought of other things we could do for others.  How can we generate the feeling of "Love in the Air" all the time?

Here's a list of some ways we can show love to others each and every day.  Just simple and random acts of kindness....

1.  Help someone by getting their shopping cart for them at a store.
2. Help someone by putting their shopping cart in the designated spot in the parking lot.
3. Open the door for someone - especially for the elderly.
4. Allow someone with fewer items to go ahead of you.  As a really special act, let someone with a BIGGER shopping cart full go ahead of you!
5. At a drive thru of a fast food restaurant, pay for the person's food that is behind you.
6.  Leave a bigger than usual tip for a carhop or waiter/waitress.
7. Ask someone how they are doing as you're out shopping.  Really listen to them.  If they are having a bad day, ask to pray for them.
8. Look at people in the eye and say hello.  It sounds simple, but too often as we go through our day, we don't take the time to really look at those around us. See their needs.  Be sure to listen.
9.  Encourage those you see who may be struggling.  If someone you come across seems to be having a bad day, tell them you hope everything is better soon. Be genuinely concerned.  Offer to pray for them.
10.  Smile.  There's a song that says, "It's isn't any trouble just to S-M-I-L-E".  Well, sometimes it is.  Sometimes it is hard for some people to smile.  But, "A smile is a curve that sets everything straight," said Phyllis Diller, and she's right.  A smile makes everything better - for you - and perhaps, for the person you are influencing with your smile.

None of the things above will take more than a few minutes or seconds of your time, but might mean the world to another person.  It's important for us to put others before ourselves.  Why? Because that's what Jesus did, and, as Christians, we're striving to imitate Him - or we should be as His followers.  You never know what that random act will do.  Just a simple way to show that LOVE really is in the air...not just this week...but all of the time.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Leo Buscaglia

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:10