One Good Turn Deserves Another
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.
- Some people might be so surprised they stop their cruel acts.
- Other people might think we’re crazy and continue their unkind behavior.
- 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.
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