The A.R.K. Project: Day 1

So many times as a parent we wonder if we're doing a good job; are we teaching our children everything they need know to become productive adults and good christian women.  This summer, I came up with an idea that will help me incorporate the act of selflessness in a way that we are all excited about.  We have named it The A.R.K. Project.

The A.R.K. Project is simply that: Acts of Random Kindness.  We plan to fulfill one act of kindness for each day of the summer.  We have come up with several ideas that I think will be interesting no only for us, but for whomever the recipient is as well.  The point of this project, in our minds and hearts, is to bring joy to someone else even if it's only for a brief moment.  To qualify as an "official" act, it has to be something we do off the path of our normal, everyday lives.  So, lets say you're walking into a building at the same time as someone else and you choose to hold the door for the other person and allow them to walk ahead of you.  This, unfortunately, would not qualify as an act for us because this is something we would typically do out of kindness.  However, if the same instance would occur but now you notice another 4 or 5 people headed toward the same building so you choose to stay and hold the door for everyone else too, that might just qualify as an act because it's going just a little extra to show kindness.  Hopefully, I've made myself clear enough that now everyone understand just what we're up for this summer!

Today, we kicked off the A.R.K. Project when we returned a movie we had rented from a local Redbox Kiosk.  We took along a bag of microwave popcorn and a little note that read:

Please accept this Act of Random Kindness.  We hope you enjoy this free bag of popcorn with your movie tonight.  Have a nice day!

We taped both the bag and note to the kiosk and then took off to finish the rest of our afternoon running.  We got a little bonus several hours later when our running took us back by the same location where we had left the items.  The girls were VERY EXCITED to see that they were gone!  It was an amazing feeling to see them so happy, and anxious for tomorrows next Act.  I'm not sure about the recipient of the popcorn, but I can tell you that this one act was a real blessing for us.  I can't wait for what tomorrow brings either!