By Jim Davis

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day.  It’s a day set aside to remind us that sometimes all we need to do to make the world a better place is to simply be nice to each other.  Today we remind ourselves to greet others with a smile, tip our waiters generously, hold open doors for other people and maybe even pay the bill for the person in line behind us at the drive-through window.  And by doing these things, we hope not only to make other people feel good but to also feel better about ourselves.

You may not realize it, but random acts like these are reflections of the Grace that God has shown to all of us. Grace is kindness given to someone whether or not they’ve asked for it and who may not deserve it.  We tend to think about grace in terms of forgiveness, where we cancel a debt that someone owes us, or have compassion on someone who has done us wrong.  But it can be any act of kindness.

As Christians, we’re called on to accept the Grace that God has given us and to extend that Grace to others.  That’s what it means when the Bible tells us to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.”  That’s also the driving force behind the Life Enrichment Center, to extend God’s Grace to those in need of it and, by doing so, to remind those people that they have value.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Life Enrichment Center.  To celebrate that event, we’ll be showcasing twenty “Acts of Kindness” that the LEC provides to the neighbors that it serves.  And for those who feel so led, we’ll be asking for your help to enable us to keep performing those Acts.

The first opportunity begins on March 1st.  Donations received during March and April will be matched dollar-for-dollar, to a maximum of $25,000.  If you’ve ever considered donating to the LEC, this will be a great time to do so.

Have a Kind and Blessed day.

Jim Davis has been a volunteer with the Life Enrichment Center since 2019. His grandparents lived in East Dayton and he has many fond memories of what the area was like when he was growing up.