Be good to people..for no reason

Be good to people…. for no reason.

Those of you who know me will know I’ve got a minor shoulder injury. I’ve been having physio for it and a couple of weeks ago I went to a physiotherapist in South Melbourne. I parked my car, put my coins in the meter and went in to be stretched and moved in very painful ways.

As with all these things the physio was running late, took longer than the appointed time and then it took me a while to pay. All in all my half an hour appointment took me nearly 50 minutes. I’d paid for about 35 of parking (all the change I had).

Walking back to my car I could see a couple of the other cars parked near mined parking tickets on it. Mine too had a little slip of paper flapping under the wiper.

Dismayed I went over and pulled it out. But imagine my joy when I found that it wasn’t a parking ticket, it was a note that said - 

“I saw the parking attendant coming round and so I fed your parking meter for you.

Someone did it for me, all I ask is that you do a random act of kindness in return.

Yours,

A Helpful Stranger.”

Whoever this stranger was I want to thank them and if they ever read this please know that I will do as you ask. 

And now I’ll remind you to do the same - do a random act of kindness to someone. It could be to feed their parking meter, pay for their coffee, give up your seat on a tram. Any one of a thousand little things. Do it! It makes the world a better place. A little brighter for you and a lot brighter for the recipient. Trust me, I know, I’ve been the recipient. 

So be good to people…for no reason.

It’s the essence of that Bible verse that says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

or as the Message Bible puts it (verses 31-34)

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behaviour: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the loveable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.”

Yes, we’ve all hear stories of these random acts of kindness of cafe bills being paid or pathways cleared of snow (not an issue we have here) etc - well don’t just listen to the stories - be one. GO and be good to people…for no reason at all other than it’s what Jesus has told us to do! 

Make the world a little brighter for someone!