I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day! Whether you enjoy the heart-filled festivities or not, I think this middle of February is a wonderful time to be reminded of the importance of showing love to others, and of how enormously great God’s love is. It always brightens my day when someone grabs the door for me, takes my lunch tray, or surprises me with a note of encouragement. I have noticed many people in our college ministry loving others. That’s awesome! Let’s keep doing it! Here are some ideas of ways we can show love to those around us. (A few came from websites, some I thought of, and others are from a booklet my church back home created.) …I hope this will inspire us to reach out to someone this week, other than what we normally do, and go the extra step to make someone’s day. Always remember that “…the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him… the earth is full of his unfailing love.” Ps 32:10, 33:5 He loves us so much!
• Adopt a soldier. - Even if don't know anyone serving in the military you can send a letter that will be distributed to soldiers longing for a word from home. Anysoldier.com lists military members serving overseas who are willing to accept mail and distribute it to troops who don't have family. You can send something one time, or write regularly to a soldier. While you might not get a personal response ... you can be sure that your letters and packages encourage the men and women fighting far from home.
• Take a prayer walk. - Go for a walk around your neighborhood, and pray for your neighbors as you stroll. Ask God to protect and bless your neighborhood, and to show you ways you can reach out to your neighbors with love and kindness. And if you're feeling particularly brave, stop a stranger and offer to pray for them…it's amazing how grateful people - regardless of their faith or what they believe about God - are when a stranger offers to pray for them. (above 2 from: http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=14154)
• Leave a compliment with a tip - Tips are an easy way to serve others in return for what they have done for you. If you want to make a stronger impact, write a note or message with a tip to leave a specific compliment. You could ask to speak to the manager at a restaurant and tell them about the great service you received from a specific server. (idea from http://learnthis.ca/2010/02/100-ways-to-serve-others/)
• Adopt a country – get to know the culture, pray for them specifically, minister during the year
• Buy freeze pops and hand them out at parks with a card that says “just a reminder that Jesus loves you”
• Start a clown ministry in a hospital
• Visit people in jail, tell them about Jesus
• Offer free babysitting
• Cook a meal for someone who could use it
• Pick up litter – Most days I’ll walk around campus and see plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups, candy wrappers etc on the ground… let’s pick them up! It could be just 1 thing you toss in a trash can on the way to class, or you could even grab a friend and go around campus with a trash bag
• Be kind and courteous to other drivers
• Give others compliments, say encouraging things, write someone a nice message on facebook, make a little card or note for a friend and slip it under their door or in their mailbox of book bag
• Offer to help someone with their homework, maybe to understand something they don’t get, quiz them on material, or to keep them accountable and on task
• Help carry luggage for students going home/coming back on weekends, carry grocery bags for students.
• Sit next to someone at lunch you see sitting by themself. If you don’t know them, try to get to know them :)
• Start a conversation with the lovely cleaning ladies, lunch workers, outdoor maintenance people and others you see working on campus. They appreciate our smiles and interaction!
• If you live in a dorm, get to know all the girls or guys in your hallway.
• Make muffins, pancakes, cookies, or other treats to share with students in your dorm/hallway. You can also use that as a starting point for conversation to meet new people.
• Come to Bastrop this Spring Break! Or seek out another mission opportunity throughout the semester.
Enjoy spreading love around!
- SL
• Adopt a soldier. - Even if don't know anyone serving in the military you can send a letter that will be distributed to soldiers longing for a word from home. Anysoldier.com lists military members serving overseas who are willing to accept mail and distribute it to troops who don't have family. You can send something one time, or write regularly to a soldier. While you might not get a personal response ... you can be sure that your letters and packages encourage the men and women fighting far from home.
• Take a prayer walk. - Go for a walk around your neighborhood, and pray for your neighbors as you stroll. Ask God to protect and bless your neighborhood, and to show you ways you can reach out to your neighbors with love and kindness. And if you're feeling particularly brave, stop a stranger and offer to pray for them…it's amazing how grateful people - regardless of their faith or what they believe about God - are when a stranger offers to pray for them. (above 2 from: http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=14154)
• Leave a compliment with a tip - Tips are an easy way to serve others in return for what they have done for you. If you want to make a stronger impact, write a note or message with a tip to leave a specific compliment. You could ask to speak to the manager at a restaurant and tell them about the great service you received from a specific server. (idea from http://learnthis.ca/2010/02/100-ways-to-serve-others/)
• Adopt a country – get to know the culture, pray for them specifically, minister during the year
• Buy freeze pops and hand them out at parks with a card that says “just a reminder that Jesus loves you”
• Start a clown ministry in a hospital
• Visit people in jail, tell them about Jesus
• Offer free babysitting
• Cook a meal for someone who could use it
• Pick up litter – Most days I’ll walk around campus and see plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups, candy wrappers etc on the ground… let’s pick them up! It could be just 1 thing you toss in a trash can on the way to class, or you could even grab a friend and go around campus with a trash bag
• Be kind and courteous to other drivers
• Give others compliments, say encouraging things, write someone a nice message on facebook, make a little card or note for a friend and slip it under their door or in their mailbox of book bag
• Offer to help someone with their homework, maybe to understand something they don’t get, quiz them on material, or to keep them accountable and on task
• Help carry luggage for students going home/coming back on weekends, carry grocery bags for students.
• Sit next to someone at lunch you see sitting by themself. If you don’t know them, try to get to know them :)
• Start a conversation with the lovely cleaning ladies, lunch workers, outdoor maintenance people and others you see working on campus. They appreciate our smiles and interaction!
• If you live in a dorm, get to know all the girls or guys in your hallway.
• Make muffins, pancakes, cookies, or other treats to share with students in your dorm/hallway. You can also use that as a starting point for conversation to meet new people.
• Come to Bastrop this Spring Break! Or seek out another mission opportunity throughout the semester.
Enjoy spreading love around!
- SL
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