Day 22: Just for today, I resolve to be kind. Simply put, being kind involves living out Jesus' words, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12) Just for today, treat others the way you would want to be treated in similar circumstances, at home, at work, at school, and with everyone you come in contact with. This might not be easy, as we can often react negatively towards those who are not acting in kindness to us. But remember, Jesus doesn't call us to treat others as they treat us. And, keep in mind that you don't often know everything that is going on in someone else's life and why they act the way they do. So, to the best of your ability, today give others the benefit of the doubt, and respond kindly.
Day 23: Just for today, I resolve to give someone a choice. Life can begin to weigh us down when we feel we have no choices. Today, lighten someone else's load by finding a way to offer them a choice. Perhaps it's offering your child a choice between several chores around the house. Or, possibly offering a coworker, peer, or subordinate a choice between tasks. Maybe, it's simply asking your spouse what they'd like to watch on television this evening.
Day 24: Just for today, I resolve to make someone laugh. This is a corollary to Day 17. Sure, this day is likely to be filled with serious and important issues to face. Still, we all need to experience the gift of laughter, and the accompanying lightening of heart, from time to time. Your mission today is to make someone else laugh. Not known for your sense of humor? Find a (wholesome) joke that you like and share it with someone. The fact that you aren't known as a funny person will likely make the other person laugh even more.
Day 25: Just for today, I resolve to do something nice for someone I know outside of my own family. Identify one person you'll be in contact with today, and think of a way to do something nice for them. This shouldn't be difficult, even though it may be unexpected. It can be as easy as picking up a cup of coffee for a friend or a coworker. Be creative and help to make someone else's day.
Day 26: Just for today, I resolve to say "thank you." This is another of the often-overlooked common courtesies that used to be a part of polite society. It's not likely that most of us are ungrateful for what others do on our behalf. We just don't seem to express gratitude, as freely as once may have been the norm. Today, resolve to communicate your thanks to everyone who does something for you—from the barista who serves your morning mocha to your spouse who ran that errand for you on his or her lunch break. Trust me, the gesture will be appreciated. "Thank you" is a surprisingly powerful phrase.
Day 27: Just for today, I resolve to pay someone a complement. Similar to saying thank you, a complement is a powerful way to encourage someone, but it goes beyond something they've done for you personally and highlights some action or characteristic in them that you admire. This may take some work on your part, but perhaps not. Do you admire the way a coworker handles pressure? Let him or her know. Do you admire the way your daughter serves others without being asked? Let her know. Do you admire the way your spouse makes parenting your kids look so easy? Let her or him know.
Day 28: Just for today, I resolve to do something relaxing. Chances are you live a full and busy life. When was the last time you did something relaxing that you enjoy? Perhaps it has been a long time. Regardless, today take at least a few moments to relieve the stress and pressure that seem so constant in your life. Grab a cup of coffee with a friend; take a walk on the beach, read a chapter of a book. Do something that serves to relax you, if only for a brief period.
Day 29: Just for today, I resolve to do something nice for a complete stranger. You don't have to go overboard here. A kind act on behalf of a stranger reminds us that we are part of the community of humanity. We will never know the stories, pleasures or pains of those people we walk by day in and day out. But, most likely, their lives, at least at their core, are very similar to yours. They yearn, they hurt, and they love, just like you. So just for today, why not reach out to someone and be reminded that as one person among many, you are part of something bigger than yourself and your family. Open a door for someone. Pay a toll for the person in the car behind you. Help pick up papers that someone drops on the street. Remember, Jesus' words: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40)
Day 30: Just for today, I resolve to do something out of the ordinary. It was Henry David Thoreau who wrote, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them." I don't admire Thoreau as a theologian, but I think he largely got it right in this quote. I believe a large number of people, perhaps even you, get bogged down in the routines of life. I have nothing against routines, except when they become our master. Much can be said about the righteousness of living a careful, responsible life before God. But, this is not at issue for me in this resolution. My fear is that the life Jesus lived and died to give us ("I came that they may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10) can get lost in the devotion to safety and routine. I'm not advocating going out today to partake in some "extreme" thrill sport. I'm simply encouraging you to do something outside of your normal routine, to experience life outside the lines you've drawn, to provide yourself with the opportunity to "sing your song." How? Only you can decide for sure, but maybe it's as simple as taking the long way home from school or work to gain a new perspective on the world right around you that otherwise goes unnoticed. Perhaps it involves preparing a dinner from another culture for your family. And maybe, just maybe, it is taking that bungee jump that you've always wanted to try, but has always seemed so "unlike you."
By Jim Liebelt
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