Better than candy

Random Acts of Kindness for 40 Days.

As Ash Wednesday quickly approaches, Christians around the world will embark on 40 days of sacrifice, prayer, penance, and renewal in preparation for our most holy day of the year, Easter.  During Lent, different denominations will do different things to prepare.  As a Catholic, we are asked to give up meat on Fridays and Ash Wednesday, in addition we try entering into a deeper prayerful conversation with God and preparing for the Resurrection of Christ.  Also, many will try to make some sort of sacrifice for those 40 days.  As a child, I can remember giving up candy, video games and watching TV.  These were all difficult challenges for me and sometimes I succeeded, but a lot of times I failed.  Looking back, success wasn't the purpose of the sacrifice, the journey was the purpose – the journey to try and bring yourself closer to God during those 40 days through sacrifice and prayer.  As I got older and started to realize this, I changed my intentions.  Instead of "giving up" something I decided I needed to "do something". 

Over the past eight years, I have made my Lenten resolutions based on what I can do to show my faith in God. 

My favorite story was Lent of 2004, the first year I did this.  I decided I would do a Random Act of Kindness (RAK) everyday for 40 days.  I decided that when someone needed help I would give it to them and if nobody needed help, then I would find a person to show some small form of kindness.  (Now that I think about it, this was probably the beginning of On Track Daily and I didn't even know it!)  Anyway, Ash Wednesday of 2004, I remember going to my gym to work out, and in the parking lot there was a young girl with a flat tire, I bet she was 17 years old or so.  She was trying to change the tire and failing miserably.  I walked right past her, as I was running late for my class.  As I got to the main entrance, I stopped, smacked myself in the head, and thought that maybe this was a test.  I also felt like a hypocrite with the ashes still on my forehead from Church and I had left that girl in the snow by herself.  So I jogged back and asked her if she needed help.  She did. Together we changed her tire and she went her way I went mine -- and I felt wonderful knowing I had helped.  After class, I ran to Giant Eagle to buy some groceries and while walking into the store I saw a Mom with her hands full of kids while she had a full cart of grocery bags, and one of those 50 pound dog food bags that she was struggling to load into her car.  This time I didn't walk by.  I asked if I could give her a hand and she asked me to get the dog food.  I grabbed the dog food and threw it in her trunk.  She said thanks, and I went into the store, and I assume she went home.  Once again, I felt amazing. 

Looking back, I have no idea who those women were.  I don't even know if they remember me or those incidents.  But I remember, and maybe that's the point?  Random Acts of Kindness are not only great for the receiver but also great for the doer.  It's such a great feeling to know that you helped someone who needed help.  It's makes you feel like you made a difference in someone's life.  That feeling is incredible and that feeling brings me more close to God then giving up Snickers ever could.

So, if you are looking for something to give back to your community or if you are trying to prepare yourself during Lent, then I ask you to join me and try to do a Random Act of Kindness everyday of Lent.  And if you do, I bet you will get so much satisfaction from RAK'ing that you will do it every day, not just during Lent.

B.M.