Showing posts with label pay it forward. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pay it forward. Show all posts

Friday, November 5, 2010

A Challenge

I want to put a challenge out there for all my blogging friends.
I am challenging you to *pay it forward* with some type
of meaningful gesture during the upcoming holiday season.
You may not see someone holding
a sign like above, but that does not mean there aren't many
people in need all around us.

I don't know if you all remember our story from a couple years
ago where we were in a drive through and the person in the
car ahead of us paid for our meal. I am telling you it
blessed our socks off and it made me vow to keep this in
mind and return the favor. If I remember right our bill was only
$4 or so, but it isn't the amount that matters.

I was able to keep that vow several months later also at
a drive through.
When I heard that *still small voice* urging me on,
I was trying to rationalize in my head, "but what if I
don't have enough cash" and on and on and I finally
realized I was to do this and I had better get on with it.
Can you believe after paying for mine and the car behind me
I had a little over $1.00 left??
God knew all along that I had enough cash with me
and I am so thankful that I listened to His voice.

No better time than the present with our bad economy
and so many out of work to do a small part to bless
someone else. You will make their day...month...year,
and you will receive a blessing too.

If any of you choose to do this I would love to hear the
stories! May God bless each and every one of you!!

{photo above found online}

P.S.This is what reminded me again today...my daughter-in-laws blog post yesterday. It really is worth the read I promise!!

This past Tuesday the kids and I were at the library for story time. Kanaan usually sleeps right thru it, but Keira really enjoys singing the songs and listening to the stories. Well, story time was over and we were heading back up to the front to check out our new books. I knew that our last books/CD's were overdue (by like a week, ugh) and we would have a fine. I just didn't know how much. I get up there, and the lady says, "ma'am you owe $2.25." And it needs to be under $1.00 in order for me to check anything out. I didn't have that much, but I did have $1.25 in change!! So I dished out what I could. But technically speaking it still wasn't under a dollar. So I was beginning to prepare myself to calmly and rationally explain to Keira that we weren't going to be able to get library books this week - no big deal. That's when the lady beside me in line threw out a dollar onto the counter and said "here, use this." I looked at her and said that it was no big deal, thank you anyway. I appreciated the gesture, but no thanks. She persisted and simply said "Pay it forward." And at first I kind of just gave here a questioning look, but she said it again and I asked 'are you sure?' She simply nodded. I just looked at her straight in the eye and said thank you. I must have proceeded to say thank you like 20 times after that, but I just felt an overwhelming urge to hug her. I think I just patted her arm instead, but tears even welled up in my eyes and everything. You just don't see generosity like that anymore. For a complete stranger. God is everywhere and I saw him this week. :)

Monday, February 1, 2010

Pay it forward challenge ~

Do you remember me blogging at Easter time last year and telling
how we were in the drive through at a fast food place and
the lady ahead of our vehicle payed for our food
so when we got to the window the person told us we
didn't owe anything?

I finally got the chance to pass that blessing along today
and it was so exciting!

Today I made a trip to my booth and then
I stopped at Wendy's on the way home for a quick bite.
While sitting in the drive through a *still small voice* was
tugging at my conscience saying,

"pay for the person behind you"

I came up with all kinds of excuses in my mind
why maybe I shouldn't.
One being that I had only brought $10 in cash along with me
and it probably wouldn't be enough , but that little
voice kept telling me...

"pay for the person behind you"

So I thought okay I am going to do this by faith that I will have enough money with me. I paid for mine and then
I asked the lady how much the next persons bill was and
she said "$5.49". I had $1.51 left over after paying for hers!

I am so glad that I listened to that *still small voice*.
I will never know why I was to do this at this particular
time and place, but it was such a blessing and I
pray that she received a blessing too!!

I challenge you especially in these hard times to
*pay it forward*
You will get a blessing and you never know
whose life you may change!!

{I did not post this to bring any glory to me whatsoever
but to remind us all that there are hurting people
out there and we need to do what we can to help...
even if it is in small way. }

Hugs~