You may have heard of a movement across the country of spreading cheer and good will through random acts kindness. The premise is simple. You do something nice for someone – a stranger – and they, in turn, feel drawn to do the same for someone else. The originator of the act gains nothing from it and often remains anonymous, but the act of kindness moves on.

A Midwest radio station has chosen this theme in a program they call the “Drive Thru Difference.”
Fort Wayne’s WBCL listeners are asked that the next time they go through a drive-thru, when they get to the window, they pay for the person behind them. When they do this they also give the cashier a flyer to give to that person. Flyers can be downloaded from the radio station’s webpage and start out, “Hi, you don’t know me but I just paid for your order.” It gives the call letters and web address of the radio station, suggests that the receiver go online and share their story, download a flyer and repeat the kindness for someone else – thus creating a flow of good will from person to person.

The reason this random act gets the world’s attention is that it is anonymous. The recipient doesn’t know you and can’t even offer a thank you. Doing something for nothing goes against the world’s value system. This is a free gift. What better way to spread the love of Christ? We give this gift in remembrance of the free gift of life that He gave to us before we knew Him.

In these random acts of kindness, the person receiving the gift does not know the person giving it. The giver takes no credit for the kindness. The act is solely for the benefit of the stranger, for their encouragement. To the giver, it is passing on a gift that God has given. He gives us the encouragement to give away. The money that we use to buy someone’s lunch or coffee, is from God, too. All good things come from God. We are not meant to hoard any good thing. We are to pass them on.

Don’t we get so involved in our own busy schedule and our worries that we tend to forget what God has given? So, let’s make an effort, starting now, to start giving away His encouragement. Start creating random acts of kindness. Go to this station’s web page and download a flyer. Even if you are not in the station’s broadcast area, it can be heard on the internet. If you choose not to use the flyer provided, compose your own.

Your note might read; “I heard about his on WBCL” or “I read about it on the Internet.” Or “I just felt like doing something nice for someone else. Maybe you will feel like doing it, too.”

The next time you are cruising through a drive thru, surprise the cashier. Tell them you want to pay for the person behind you and ask him to give them your note.

One random act of kindness can change the world. Your act of kindness will encourage someone and live on to spread from stranger to stranger. Who knows where it might lead?

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