I remember the fun my daughter had with May baskets when she was a little girl.  She and her friend would gather flowers from the garden (or lawn) and arrange them in a small basket left from Easter.  Then off they’d go to the house of an elderly neighbor, where they hung the basket at her door, rang the bell, and ran.   The idea was that she would be completely surprised.  She graciously played along and later told the girls about the beautiful basket she received and that she had no idea who it might be from.  The girls giggled all the way home.

The baskets were a simple May Day tradition, great fun for the kids.  We could also call it a “random act of kindness.”  And that my friends, is something we all could think about more often.  There’s even a Random Acts of Kindness Foundation that encourages making a better world with kindness at home, at school, and at work.

The Bible has a great deal to say about acts of kindness.   It is perhaps easy to act with thoughtfulness towards someone who returns kindness to us.  But we are challenged to act with kind-heartedness to those who hate us, or to act unexpectedly generous to any who have need of our compassion  Three Bible verses come to mind.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” Galatians 5:22

“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.”  Luke 6:27

“I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive”. Acts 20:35

I wish you a Happy May Day.  I pray that you feel the unconditional love of God poured out on you today, and that you find a way to share that love with a little random act of kindness.

Judy