A Random Act of Kindness

[kenw]

I just wanted to relate and experience I had today. After our Church's service my wife and I went to Applebee's for lunch. When it came time for the bill the waitress came over with a business card which said "this one's on us". She told us a gentleman at another table picked up oour tab. It was a family with several kids and a grandmother along, never saw these people in our lives. When we thanked him and asked why, he stated to ahve a merry Christmas. Maybe there is hope for this world after all!!

[BradT]

Rhonda had a similar experience yesterday. At Tim Horton the guy in front of her went to pay for his coffee's and Milk for his son with his bank card.Timmy's does not accept Interact and that was all he had and could not pay, the guy behind him threw 5 bucks on the counter and said Merry Christmas.

 

When the guy who paid, got to the counter and ordered almost the same thing, the lady behind the counter would not accept his money.

 

Tough times out there, but it is nice to see people helping others.

 

Brad

[Yammer Dan]

Maybe if I went to the Yamaha Dealer???

 

 

 

 

It is good to see there are some people left out there that care. I was behind a guy that left his wallet lying on counter the other day Clerk didn't it it was behind stuff. He couldn't believe it when I called him back and ask him if he wanted it.

[Aussie Annie]

And don't forget that when you can "pay it forward"

 

 

Annie......who loves doing random acts of kindness!!........

[KarlS]

Today a member who I have never met and has no idea who I am read about me lending my Christmas money to a "friend" that will not pay me back. They offered to lend me money for Christmas. I thanked them very much for the offer but explained to them my Daughter and I have talked and She will have a shopping spree on the 31st. (which She is quite excited about) Also She will be at Her mothers during Christmas so she will get something on Christmas. Just another example of the good people in the Venture.org family.

[massey130]

random acts of kindness may seem random, but they have one common link - those who do them. i mentioned a chain in another thread. if someone helps me, then i help someone else - it becomes a chain of seemingly random acts of kindness.

 

i was 18 and in a bad spot & was helped. i asked how to repay & was told to help someone else in a spot like i was in. i have been doing so ever since.

 

i had the opportunity to change a lady's tire who had a couple kids on their way somewhere. i had her swapped to the spare in no time. she pulled her wallet and asked how much she owed me. i looked at her and said "keep the chain going - someone once helped me. now, i have helped you, you help someone else and keep it going so the world can be a better place." she was speechless and i smiled at her and said "I need to pack my tools, you have a nice day with those kids" she smiled back and headed out.

 

this is just one of several times i have been able to help. i do have to be careful though as there have been setups where do-gooders are bushwacked while being lured into the help me situation.

[Patrick46]

I just wanted to relate and experience I had today. After our Church's service my wife and I went to Applebee's for lunch. When it came time for the bill the waitress came over with a business card which said "this one's on us". She told us a gentleman at another table picked up oour tab. It was a family with several kids and a grandmother along, never saw these people in our lives. When we thanked him and asked why, he stated to ahve a merry Christmas. Maybe there is hope for this world after all!!

 

You weren't dressed like ME were ya???????

[BoomerCPO]

The Christmas Season always seems to bring out the best in folks....but there are many out there who carry over their best into their life on a daily basis. I consider myself blessed and fortunate enough to have met these fine folks....not just here but face to face on many Patriot Guard Missions.

 

Put together, it all restores and rejuvenates my faith in people.

 

Pay it forward? I live that every day...keeps a smile on my face and keeps the real idiots wondering what the heck I'm up to.

 

Boomer....whose waxing eloquent heah is bound to shock the heck outta more than one member.....

[dr_bar]

I'm lucky to work in a fairly well paying job, and whenever I can I pay a bit forward. The other night on my way home from a friends, I stopped at a Timmy's. picked up about $40 of snacks and coffee to go and dropped it off on a picket line where workers have been off the job for about 2 months. Despite the rain and cold, it's amazing how simple it is to bring a smile to someones face...

[Grandpagak]

I LOVE THIS FAMILY.. THEY ARE SOME OF THE GREATEST.. ( KINDA,SORTA, GIVES YA A WARM AND GLOWIN FEELIN TO HELP OTHERS.. i DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP OTHERS..

 

THANKS FOR BEIN A GREAT BUNCH!!!!

[Midrsv]

After reading and hearing of the many of the acts of kindness here and elsewhere it made me take stock of my own position in life. My wife and I are fairly comfortable with decent jobs. I lost my mother this year and my father last year and I think of them often. A few days ago I started think of what "act of kindness" I could do that would truly make a difference in a small way to someone. I decided that I wanted to help and senior person in order to honor my parents.

 

So yesterday I decided I wanted to help someone with their heating bill. So I contacted a local propane dealer and spoke with a very nice customer service rep and inquired if she new of a senior that was struggling to pay their heat bill and could I help. She said that they hear storys all the time from people struggling to pay their bill. I think she thought I was a crackpot. So today at lunch I went to the gas company's address only to find that it was merely a gas tank. I called again and their real office was in a town 25 miles away. I paused for a moment and then headed to their office. She seemed to surprised when I asked for her to help me. She got on the phone with other customer reps and they came up with a 70+ year old widow that takes care of her mother in her home and they struggle to pay the heat bill with very little left over each month. I didn't ask for their name nor did I provide mine. I left $400 with rep and asked that she apply it to the lady's bill and to tell her Merry Christmas. Boy did I feel good on the way home.

 

I pledge to slow down and do more "acts of kindness" in the new year. I hope you do too.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Dennis

[BoomerCPO]

I have not seen this old saying mentioned in this thread so I'll toss it out for good measure....

 

"What goes around comes around"

 

Boomer.....who says you can define the goodness of the human spirit but you can never capture it,put it in a bottle,nor sell it. Its either there or not. And if not, you are looking at a poor excuse of a human being.

[Freebird]

Well...I don't have a ton of money but I also like to help others when I can. Just a few bucks here and there but I always feel great when I can do it. Good job Dennis, good people can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

[Guest Ken8143]

It really does not take that much to make a huge difference in another person's life. Random acts of kindness - that should become a habit.

 

I have received many of these moments from perfect strangers and have tried to pass it on. It always brings a smile.

[autopilot]

An opinion and a story. I don't believe in random or coincedence. There is purpose behind everything. If you study it thoroughly, I think you'll see why I say that.

 

A few years ago, shortly after my son was saved, he was relating that he stopped and picked up a guy who was apparently homeless & broke and was talking to him about the Lord, etc. My son took him to breakfast and fed him, well. He then gave him his leather jacket as it was pretty cold weather. He gave all the cash he had on him, prayed with him and he gave him his personal Bible before he dropped him off and continued on to his work. I remember thinking to myself..He's got it right and it's in his heart and I was so proud of him. I tell that to set the stage for my part of the tale.

 

In the days following my son's episode, I was putting gas in my truck and a guy approached me and asked if I had any spare change or words to that effect. He looked a little uneasy and it made me uneasy as well, so I told him I did not, even though I did. I went inside to pay the clerk and it kept gnawing at me. The Lord will send angels to test us and if this was one of those times, I just failed miserably and lied in the process. I went outside to correct my error and the guy was gone. I jumped in the truck and went in the direction I had seen him walk away in, but to no avail. I felt horrible. I had a chance and blew it.

 

Well, a couple of days later, my wife and I were returning home from visiting my son and decided to stop and pick up a couple of burgers at Wendy's to take home. I dropped her at the door and pulled the truck around and parked until she was ready, because it was pouring rain at this point. It was late and dark and there was a darkly clothed man plastered up against the side of the building to try as best he could to stay out of the rain. Shortly, he nervously left the relative dryness of the wall and approached the drivers side of the truck. I rolled the window down a bit and asked him what he wanted.

 

He proceeded to tell me that he had been up for 2 days straight without food, getting here from wherever he had been. He had been released from prison and had spent everything for bus fare getting here and explained that he had a place to stay but they needed $5 to hold the room until he could try to get a job the next day. The story seemed pretty lame, and I chuckled to myself as we spoke. He thought I was laughing at him and asked me to please not do that. Without a lot of explanation I told him that I was not laughing at him at all, I was laughing at myself...God had put him there for me to make right my previous screwup. I took his hand and prayed for him, gave him $20 and told him to go inside and get him something to eat, warm up and use the rest for his room.

 

I don't think I've ever seen anyone move so fast to go buy a burger in my life. He was so profuse in his thanks, I was embarrassed. I thanked the Lord for for the favor of giving me a second chance at one-on-one charity. I like to think that this guy meeting me made a big enough impact to get him jumpstarted in a new direction. I'll never know, but for me, the feeling of being able to help this guy, even if it was for only those few minutes was beyond wonderful. The feeling of being able to have a second chance at doing it right for the Lord is priceless!

 

I didn't have much money to be throwing around at the time, but I remembered a biblical lesson from some point in my life....to give, out of your own need. With study,you'll find that to be another great truth!

 

Sorry about the length, but if you're going to tell a story....you tell the story!