Blessings are to be given, not just received

We were on vacation and had given each of our three daughters some money for them to spend as they wanted. Since money was pretty tight back then, this gift was extremely important to all of the girls, and they anticipated just how they would spend it. Our middle girl was extremely protective of her purse and money, and no one was going to take it from her.

Several miles down the road after leaving the flea market we had visited, I asked our daughters if they still had their purses and money. Imagine our middle daughter’s dismay when she realized that she no longer had either. Somehow when she stopped to look at something, she had laid her purse down and then forgot to pick it up when she left. To say she was devastated is an understatement. Of course, we turned around and returned to look for it, but to no avail; both were gone. It was an important lesson in life, but not an easy one.

After we returned home, to our utter amazement, we received a package through the mail with a note and her purse with the money still in it. Someone had found the purse, recognized that it must have belonged to a young girl, and knowing just how important it must have been, found her name and address and returned it to her. Now, that was an act of joy for our family and a renewed sense of appreciation for honesty. Of course, we thanked the couple profusely by return mail, especially our middle daughter.

I’ve thought about that true story many times over the years, and have rejoiced every time I read something similar happening. I wondered if people were still so honest and caring. The other day, when I left a large shopping center, I found a very expensive glove in the parking lot, and realizing how someone might have felt losing it, I took it back into the store, asked if anyone had been looking for it, and then left it in their lost and found. The people in the store looked at me like I was a bit crazy. Apparently, no one had done that before.

But good things do still happen. I rejoiced when I read about how two twins, Luna and Gianella, tied their Christmas notes to balloons and set them free with the hope they would find their way to Santa. Over 650 miles away, Alvin Bamburg was riding his ATV when he noticed a red balloon tangled up in a fallen tree. A yellow note was tied on it which said, “Dear Santa” and a list of five items, including a puppy. He immediately told his wife and they felt the need to take action. Alvin sent the twins their gifts, including a new puppy (after clearing it with their mother). The twins referred to Alvin as an Elf and the families became close friends. Now, that’s a good Christmas story.

Last year, my wife and were driving through a Starbuck’s for a coffee (for her, not me; I’m a tea drinker) when we were told at the check in window that our order had already been paid for by someone who had gone before us. Do you remember the stories a few years ago about people “paying it forward?” Well, it happened to us, not once, but several times. And, of course, we immediately paid for the people behind us, not knowing when it would end. What a joy!

And then there was the time I was out with some police officers and we stopped at a local restaurant for dinner. What a surprise it was when the manager came out and told us that our meals had already been paid for by an anonymous person! Now, it is against an officer’s ethics to ask for discounts, but what do you do when you have been blessed without asking and have no idea who gave the blessing? There was nothing else to do: We all said a big “thank you” and asked that it be given to whomever had bought us dinner.

There also was the time I was purchasing a sandwich for my wife and me and I was forced to wait a long time to place my order because of some confusion at the order desk. When my turn came, the man and his wife ahead of me stopped me and gave me a gift certificate which easily covered the cost of our sandwiches. I was speechless. They did not know me, nor me them, and especially did not know that I was a law enforcement chaplain. They were just doing a very kind thing and I happened to be the recipient of their graciousness. Wow!

If you haven’t done anything nice to someone lately, maybe you should give it a try. There is so much self-centeredness in our world these days it is important to focus upon others once in a while. Blessings are to be given, not just received.