Pay It Forward

I just wanted to take this time and let all of you know how thankful I am for each and every one of you. I could not ask for better friends and family. As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season quickly approaches, and I hear more and more stories of how people are struggling, I couldn't feel more blessed or thankful to have all of my basic needs met. With that said, I have to share with you what happened to me today. My boys and I were at Target getting some items we needed around the house like baby food, diapers, etc. We quickly ran in the store, got the stuff we needed, and hurried to get back out. (It is kind of hard to have 2 little ones confined to a basket for too long when there are toys and other fun items all around.) Listening to the news and hearing all of the stories about people struggling financially is becoming more and more common. Of course I think about and pray for those people who are struggling, and I thank God every day that the people I know and love are not in that situation. With that said, as we were rushing to get to the car and load up, I was approached by a young girl who was in her car. I say girl because she couldn't have been any older than 21 or 22. Her license plates were from Oklahoma. Her car was making a loud noise and looked really beat up. She rolled down her window and started talking to me. She had a baby in the back seat who had to be Caden's age or younger. He was screaming and looked like he hadn't had a bath in days. The poor girl started telling me her story and that she had no place to stay and had no money for a hotel or even food to feed her little baby. She asked if I had any spare money that she could have. I don't know about you, but as for me, I don't ever carry cash because I always end up spending it. Well, it just so happened that a few days ago, I put on my winter jacket for the first time this year. I looked in the pocket and lucky me, there was $20 in there. I ended up putting the money in my visor, telling Shane when I found it that I was sure this would come in handy one day. Obviously, today was the day. I told her I don't carry cash on me, but that I would look and see what I could find. Then I remembered the money I found earlier this week. Was it just luck or divine intervention? So, anyways, I gave her the money and some of the baby food so her sweet little boy could have some dinner. She told me that her daddy was driving through the night to come and help her go back to Oklahoma. As I handed the money to her, her eyes filled up with tears and she said God bless you. As I got back in my car, my eyes filled with tears as I prayed for that poor girl. I thanked God for giving me that opportunity to be able to help her. I have always been passionate about helping people and after today, I couldn't feel more ready to make a difference. I challenge all of you to join me in Paying it Forward this holiday season and remember to give thanks for all of your blessings. Remember that it is the little things that can make a BIG difference!