Joined
·
3,853 Posts
This time of year always gets me thinking of nice gestures people seem to do for strangers in need.
I was talking to a co worker today and he told me about a woman in line at the grocery store in front of him buying some basic food items like produce, eggs & milk. She did not have her wallet with her so my co worker told the clerk to just keep on scanning and add it to his total. He said the woman started crying saying thank you. He told the woman to keep it going and if she could help out someone else that needed it that would be payment enough. They then said merry Christmas to one another and left the store.
This got me thinking about something that happened to me almost 20 years ago this time of year. Here’s the story.
I was at a low point in life going through a divorce and custody battle that as a man I could not win. At the time I had a suspended drivers license for being young and dumb with a fast car (another story for another time). I was taking my son who was about 4 at the time back to the place his mother was crashing at and I was on E. I stopped in at the store about a mile away from my house and put $30 in the tank.
When I got inside to pay I realized I had forgotten my wallet. I explained to the clerk what had happened and asked if I could return in 10 minutes to pay. She said she couldn’t do that and if I leave she will have to call the police to report a theft. I leveled with her and said my license was suspended and having the police arrive would be a ton of trouble for me that I absolutely did not need at that time. She wasn’t hearing any of that so I asked if I could use the phone. She said yes and I tried calling a few folks with no luck.
I see a man through the front windows walking to the door from around the side of the store. The average looking guy in his 30s was wearing jeans, boots and a carhartt coat which is quite normal here in Iowa. The man walks up to the counter and asks how much I need. I tell him I pumped $30 in gas and he hands the clerk cash and asks if everything is square. The clerk says everything is good and I profusely thank the man.
I told the man if he would follow me to the house that I would pay him back plus some extra but he said it was not necessary. During this time my son had wandered down the candy aisle and I told the man excuse me while I get my kid.
I retrieved my son and when I came back around the end of the aisle the man was gone. I asked the clerk where he went and she said he walked away around the corner. I was a bit confused and I asked the clerk if he bought anything else and she said no. He just left. I never saw him again.
I don’t think it fully hit me until I got home later just how strange it was.
I believe to this day that man was there at that time for a very specific purpose. How could he have known I needed some help? Why did he not buy anything for himself if he walked into the store?
It seems to me that sometimes when we are at a low point in life every now and then we get a little tap on the shoulder from the big guy just to remind us we are not alone.
I hope nobody finds my story cheesy because it’s true and I just wanted to share it. Maybe the stranger you help today will help someone else and it will come back to you when you need it most.
Thanks for letting me share why I have faith.
I was talking to a co worker today and he told me about a woman in line at the grocery store in front of him buying some basic food items like produce, eggs & milk. She did not have her wallet with her so my co worker told the clerk to just keep on scanning and add it to his total. He said the woman started crying saying thank you. He told the woman to keep it going and if she could help out someone else that needed it that would be payment enough. They then said merry Christmas to one another and left the store.
This got me thinking about something that happened to me almost 20 years ago this time of year. Here’s the story.
I was at a low point in life going through a divorce and custody battle that as a man I could not win. At the time I had a suspended drivers license for being young and dumb with a fast car (another story for another time). I was taking my son who was about 4 at the time back to the place his mother was crashing at and I was on E. I stopped in at the store about a mile away from my house and put $30 in the tank.
When I got inside to pay I realized I had forgotten my wallet. I explained to the clerk what had happened and asked if I could return in 10 minutes to pay. She said she couldn’t do that and if I leave she will have to call the police to report a theft. I leveled with her and said my license was suspended and having the police arrive would be a ton of trouble for me that I absolutely did not need at that time. She wasn’t hearing any of that so I asked if I could use the phone. She said yes and I tried calling a few folks with no luck.
I see a man through the front windows walking to the door from around the side of the store. The average looking guy in his 30s was wearing jeans, boots and a carhartt coat which is quite normal here in Iowa. The man walks up to the counter and asks how much I need. I tell him I pumped $30 in gas and he hands the clerk cash and asks if everything is square. The clerk says everything is good and I profusely thank the man.
I told the man if he would follow me to the house that I would pay him back plus some extra but he said it was not necessary. During this time my son had wandered down the candy aisle and I told the man excuse me while I get my kid.
I retrieved my son and when I came back around the end of the aisle the man was gone. I asked the clerk where he went and she said he walked away around the corner. I was a bit confused and I asked the clerk if he bought anything else and she said no. He just left. I never saw him again.
I don’t think it fully hit me until I got home later just how strange it was.
I believe to this day that man was there at that time for a very specific purpose. How could he have known I needed some help? Why did he not buy anything for himself if he walked into the store?
It seems to me that sometimes when we are at a low point in life every now and then we get a little tap on the shoulder from the big guy just to remind us we are not alone.
I hope nobody finds my story cheesy because it’s true and I just wanted to share it. Maybe the stranger you help today will help someone else and it will come back to you when you need it most.
Thanks for letting me share why I have faith.
