You know, I used to do a small, silly thing. I shop at Aldi, where you pay for your cart then get the quarter back when you return the cart. I'd leave the quarter in the slot when I returned the cart, figuring maybe someone doesn't have change, maybe a mom with a baby would appreciate not having to dig for coins, etc. It never failed, though, that someone would come along and take the quarter!! Most every time for some strange reason, it would be elderly men waiting for their wives to come out. Turkeys.
When I worked in a nursing home a couple eyars ago, we used to random acts of kindness but nobody knew when they were going to take place (or at least not when I did them). It was a common thing to work short staffed so (I used to work nights - all the time) I would start my morning routine a little earlier and bathe a couple extra residents to lighten the load for the day staff, or I would fill the water pitcher, something and then leave a random act of kindness note for those coming on. I was thrilled when I saw the name of this thread- I'm thankful someone thought of it and gave us good reason to be thankful to God for what we have and to share that thanks with others.
I have to share what someone did for me once......dd was a newborn and I had taken her to Wal-Mart with me to get groceries. After shopping for an hour (takes a bit longer with a newborn ) we were ready to walk out the door. It was pouring rain--and I do mean POURING! It was raining so hard that the entry at Wal-Mart was packed full of people like sardines waiting for it to let up, but it never did. I was stuck there with a cart full of groceries, a hungry baby (a breastfeeding baby, no bottle) and a car on the far end of the parking lot. The woman next to me had been inquiring about the age of my daughter--and all her hair :lol:--and then she told me to hold on as she was going to go buy an umbrella. When she got back she asked me if I'd trust her to watch my baby while I ran with her umbrella to the car and drove it up to the door, then when I was done loading up I could take dd the few steps to the car and then hand off her umbrella to her so she could also get to her car without getting soaked. Desparate times call for desparate measures, so I agreed. When I had loaded up my groceries and came in for dd, the lady told me to keep the umbrella so I could get back into my house with a warm, dry baby. Precious woman...and I never even caught her name.
I love this thread... Once I was in the drive-thru at McDonald's and after giving my order, I had to wait behind several cars. I had my window down and heard the older man behind me order ice cream cones. I looked in my rear view mirror to see the cutest white-haired couple, going for a drive and stopping for an ice cream cone. It was so cute!! When I got up to the window to pay for my order, I asked to pay for the car behind me, too. The cashier thought I was nuts! She asked if I knew them (or course I didn't). I just told her to tell them that they're bill had been paid by someone else and I said for them to have a nice day. When I pulled up to the next window to get my food, I saw the cashier talking to the older gentleman (pointing to my car) and explaining what I said. He was so tickled! He waved and blew me a kiss! It was so fun!
I throw loose change in the parking lot for kids to find. It always made my day when I found a penny in the street. :mrgreen:
My kids get soooo excited when they find change. It makes their day! Oh! That reminds me when my dd found a quarter at the Dairy Queen parking lot and when we went inside she gave it to a homeless shelter fund. From a mom with many kids that get so happy and excited to find loose change - thank you!!!
When Ashley was in public school, we happened to notice that one of the girls in her class had no winter coat. In the cold of winter, she only had a sweatshirt to wear to school. Well, thanks to hand-me-downs, etc. Ashley was a little too blessed with coats that year. We wanted to give one to this girl, but didn't want her to know who it was from, to not embarrass her. So, I called the school secretary and discussed it with her, who discussed it with Ashley's teacher. The teacher said that she would gladly give the coat to the little girl, and not tell who it was from. I think it made Ashley feel good when she knew that the other little girl was warm during the winter. We've never told anyone about it. I never really thought of it as a "random act of kindness" til I read through this thread!
Heidi... When I taught in ps we had a closet (really a room) that was filled with donated clothing and coats. If I had a child that was in need of a backpack or coat or whatever we would ask them if they would like to pick one. I taught kindergarten so every kid we ever asked was always so excited to go shopping there! I thougt that was a wonderful thing to have at a public school.
When in college, I worked at a little specialty shop that did engraving and such. I had engraved a piece for a lady one morning and helped her pick out gifts. I took time with her and was polite...something I always did on my job...nothing different. Well, she left the store and said she'd return in an hour when the engraving was done. She came back to pick up her order and brought me breakfast from McDonalds. I thought that was so sweet of her!
My mom and my sister live in the house I grew up in! They both have worked hard to support themselves but never seem to catch a break. They are always needing things and don't have the money to always just go and get what they need. I often buy things for them (groceries when I go shopping, etc) and drop them off as a little surprise. But, I knew if I ever tried to just drop off money they wouldn't let me. So, periodically I would send them a card with money or gift card inside and sign it "Your guardian angel". My mom was always so excited to get the card and was stumped to where it came from.
Dh will mow someone's lawn or shovel snow for a neighbor without their knowing who did it. He's gotten caught a time or two and had opportunity to witness! Our son saw a man going through a dumpster and asked if we could give him some food. We put a few non-perishables in a shopping bag and he and his father went back and found him to give it to him. Ds was at the eye doctor's office and had a great time playing with a little girl who was also in the waiting room. When we left, he pulled one of his favorite toys out of his backpack and gave it to her! I was so proud of him! Blessings,
Staci, I know what you mean about the lottery ;-D! Dh and I will sometimes sit and dream of getting a large windfall and what we would do with the money: pay off our parents' mortgages, help missionaries with a large need (car, etc.). It's fun to dream big, but in the meantime, we do the smaller things God lays on our heart. Thanks for starting this thread, it's great to read all these stories! By the way, I have one son here on earth, another child in Heaven (?girl?boy?). Ds can be "all boy" at times and drive me crazy, but his heart is huge and tender. I love that about him. I love what I've read about your sons. You and your husband are doing an awesome job of raising them! Blessings,
I guess one of the best and most fun things we have done was: We go into a restaurant and my kids took up with a waitress. A young girl about 30 who has had a hard life. She is raising 3 boys by herself. Partly due to her bad choices but anyway. Her picture was in the paper and it said she was getting a habitat house. We ask her about it and she was so excited. She said maybe you all can come and help with it one day. A few weeks later I went and hunted the house down by driving around a town nearby for a fairly long time. I finially saw a house being built and her car there. Thank God for her car or I never would have found it. The kids and I planned to go back the next Saturday. My husband even went. We helped inside and the kids carried trash and boards to the burn pile. Another day we went back to primer her bathroom. She was so surprised the first day we showed up to work. She ran out of the house and grabbed the kids hugging them. We have made a friend out of her and I hope she can see a Christian witness thru us. I have tried to plan a day to get together but with her house being built and her helping all the time on it. She has no free days. Also her kids are ps kids so they have homework too. Anyway that is our story.
Lorna, That story brought tears to my eyes, wow!. I love this thread, reading about the wonderful and positive things others have done to bless someone else. Awesome!
Tears here, too. How precious a story. I love the Habitat program anyway. I even have a little silver thing on my keychain I got in the mail from them. We don't have a Habitat house, but my best friend's sister does. I completely believe in the way that program works with the new homeowner working on it themselves with help from friends. I wish more charitable organizations would look to Habitat for Humanity as a model.
I find my self at many a doctors' waiting rooms with my kids. (they have all had their fair share of medical problems) I always carry lots of crayons, paper, cars and toy soldiers in my purse, when we see a child that is board and has nothing to do, I always offer some crayons and paper for them to keep. We have a clothing swap with our home school group, every one brings their outgrown stuff and even adult clothes we don't wear anymore but are usable. Every one takes what they can use (I always bring in a lot because my mom is always giving the kids stuff from her store and the youngest daughter wears larger clothes that the older daughter, and my youngest son and his brother have a very large gap between sizes) When the day is over we gather all the stuff and some one takes the stuff to a womens and children's center in town.
