January

JANUARY 1

A Crazy Idea

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

ROMANS 12:2, NIV

I had no idea my New Year's Day would end with a stranger and her son living in my basement.

My husband, Tim, and I had awakened with a rare sense of freedom. Our two-and four-year-old daughters were, surprisingly, still asleep. With no work commitments to fulfill, we were looking forward to a lazy holiday at home.

Within an hour of waking up, however, Tim's expression clued me in to the fact that our plans had changed. Lips quirked, brow furrowed, thumbs clicking furiously on his phone, he paced the confines of our bedroom, stopping periodically to chew on his thumbnail while he waited for a response.

A mom and her young son needed a place to stay until a unit opened up in their new apartment building. They had been sleeping at our friend's house, but that was no longer a feasible situation, and they were looking for an alternative.

Tim looked at me, an unspoken question in his eyes: Could we be that option?

It wasn't a new situation for us; we had hosted a homeless mom and her two daughters for three months that previous summer. But since the request came on the heels of a whirlwind December, I hesitated. I'm used to girls, I thought. I don't know if I can handle a little boy. What if we say yes and wish we hadn't?

There was a very real chance I would live to regret my action. But sometimes it's the crazy ideas, the ones that open us up to uncertainty, that end up teaching us the most. Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will" (NIV). Sometimes we're led to take a step of faith that may look crazy to the world and trust that God will help us work our way through it.

— Kristin

— Today's Act of Kindness —

Start the new year by resolving to look for opportunities to extend kindness to others, even in small ways.

JANUARY 2

Up Close and Personal

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

MATTHEW 7:12

That New Year's Day, when my family was faced with the decision of temporarily hosting a homeless woman and her son, I felt torn. After all, two of my friends and our families had spent the month leading up to Christmas performing acts of kindness each day: cooking a meal for a pregnant mom on bed rest, leaving treats for our mail carrier, filling a gas tank for a military serviceperson. We had documented them on social media and invited others to join with us. One night, recalling the amazing things we'd experienced during our month of kindness, I had thrown out the challenge at dinner: What would happen if we committed to doing one kind act each day for a whole year?

Now, on the first day of our commitment, I was already being challenged to rethink what a year of kindness would mean for our family. A month of kindness required forethought but didn't demand too much else. It's one thing to spend an afternoon making baked ziti for someone, casually dropping it off while running errands. But to let someone see me in ratty pajamas before I've had a chance to brush my teeth? To let someone see me in the mess of my regular life — nagging my kids for sticking out their tongues, aiming dirty looks at my husband for checking sports scores instead of clearing dinner, failing to clean up crumbs lingering in cobwebbed corners — felt like a much greater challenge.

Yet in that moment, I was reminded of the Golden Rule: "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you." If I truly believe that an essential part of my faith is living this truth out daily, surely I'm also called to do more than live a comfortable, easy life. Allowing someone to see my imperfections is a small price to pay in the face of another's need.

That afternoon, as I nervously opened my door to two strangers, I knew saying yes to trusting God in this situation was the right thing to do.

—Kristin

— Today's Act of Kindness —

How can you stretch beyond your comfort zone to reach those in need? Think of one small step you can take today to go beyond yourself, then do it.

JANUARY 3

Piano Man

[God] will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

HEBREWS 6:10

As I walked through one of many parking lots at Mayo Clinic, my eyes widened. License plates from practically every state were represented on the cars in the nearly full lot. While I told my three-year-old son that we were going on a big adventure, we were actually there for specialized testing. As we waited for the test results, my heart was in my throat and my eyes burned bright with unshed tears.

Walking through the rotunda while we waited, we were drawn to the sounds of an older gentleman playing a grand piano. Everyone is especially kind to children at Mayo, and this man was no exception. He smiled gently as my son wandered over to stand next to him, and the man leaned down to whisper that he had a special song just for my son coming up next. As the notes for "Jesus Loves Me" began to fill the air, he struck up a quiet conversation with me — asking me how often we come to Mayo and telling me that he volunteers to play every Wednesday at noon.

In this stranger, I recognized the love of my Savior. He faithfully comes to play, to smile, to whisper words of encouragement in this place where nearly every visitor walks the hallways in the midst of a medical crisis; good news and bad all mixed together.

His sacrifice of time, his musical gift, and his kind words brought peace and reassurance to my heart that no matter the test results that awaited us, my son was loved by not just my husband and me but by our Savior.

While I cannot remember the Piano Man's real name, my memory of him is vivid, and I think of him often as a faithful example of someone who shone with the love of Christ in a place where desperation and hope, despair and joy, and mourning and rejoicing so often walk the hallways side by side.

— Julie

— Today's Act of Kindness —

Pray about how you can use your gifts and talents to reveal the love of Christ. Find one small step you can take toward using your gifts to encourage and serve others.

JANUARY 4

Everyone Is Welcome Here

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, "Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners."

LUKE 7:34, NIV

When I sit scrolling through social media outlets, I see posts as varied as the people represented there. I try to look for the good, and I am encouraged by people who choose to speak about love and grace and mercy.

My eyes wander to our dining room wall, where we recently hung a print of a favorite quote of mine I...