Most children who ride a carousel (merry-go-round) don’t want to get off. They beg for one more ride — one more turn. They want to keep that good feeling going.

If someone does something good for us, we usually want to do a good deed for them. One good turn deserves another expresses that idea. We want to keep that good feeling — that good relationship — going.

But why stop there?

Why wait for someone else to do the first good deed?

A popular idea in recent years is the Random Act of Kindness Day. On that day each year, people do something good for others for no special reason. The day receives a great deal of publicity, and people feel good about it.

I appreciate those efforts. Yet, that’s just once a year. What keeps us from performing random acts of kindness every day? Our kind acts don’t have to be big. In fact, the small kindnesses often mean the most.

A greater challenge is to be kind to those who are unkind to us.

Think about the difference in our world if we practiced that.

1. Some people might be so surprised they stop their cruel acts.
2. Other people might think we’re crazy and continue their unkind behavior.
3. A few might wonder what causes us to act that way and desire a similar life for themselves.

Why not give it a try and see what happens? In a world filled with conflict, let’s be like a carousel and keep the good turns going.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44 NIV).

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.