We started a "You've Been Gifted" initiative during the month of December. I challenged the people of our church to blanket this area with 5000 acts of random generosity to remind everyone of the true meaning of Christmas. I have received dozens of stories. They are all great. This is one of my favorites and I thought you all would enjoy it as well. Merry Christmas to all of you.
Hi Joe,
I wanted to write you a note and share my experience using the Gift Card.
I was in the Super Walmart in Streetsboro this weekend and asked the lord before entering the store to lead me to someone who needs a blessing. I really felt the presence of God while choosing a check out aisle. I ended up behind a woman in one of those wheelchair type carts the store offers and she was with her adult daughter. They were having trouble paying for their purchases and were trying to use different credit cards. It was obvious that this was the person God has chosen me to "gift".
I stepped next to the lady and said " Merry Christmas why don't you let me pay for you today. " The cashier overheard me and said " you cant do that" and I asked "Why not?" and she turned the cash registers mo niter toward me that show her total bill was $192. I said "that's OK our church asked us to look for opportunities to bless other this Christmas season" I then handed her the gift card.
The lady in the wheelchair began crying really hard and her eyes were red , she grabbed my face in her hands and said " thank you very much I didn't think kindness like this still existed" She then said the reason I am shopping today is to buy clothes for my husbands funeral this weekend!"
The cashier heard this and raised her hands in the air (and held them there) and said "praise God!" she then asked where our church was and said she would like to a church where people are as nice as me.
At this point I was feeling awkward about all thre attention and started to babble phrases like "its not a big deal" and " I have a lot of money" how embarrassing is that !
However after all was said and done it really felt great to "team up " with God be a part of blessing some else.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
You Have Been Gifted!!
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17 comments:
What a wonderful story - I pray that God blesses all those involved and truly comforts that woman who lost her husband. "A husband to the husbandless."
All the glory goes to Jesus.
Amen Anonymous #2 Jesus is the only one people should see for only He can change a heart whether in Ohio in a Wal Mart or across the globe in some remote vilage. Every act of kindness done in Jesus' name will never return void. MAY JESUS AND HE ALONE BE GLORIFIED.
My prayer for the dear lady who did the act of kindness: "May God bless you with a double portion of His Spirit".
It's always and only about Jesus. Do not pray for God to bless someone-they are already blessed by being saved. Pray instead for those who have not yet heard that only Jesus is the way to the Father.
In Mt. 25 Jesus tells the parable of the talents. The servants who were obedient and produced the most, it was given even more...Why can't we also bless those who do good?
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. thus when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet b/f you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly I say to you they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
Sadly, some Christians are so "narrow-minded"... they need to go to an "eye doctor". Sorry, the Blessing Stays!
This blog is intended to encourage people. Play nice or don't play. I did not include the name so the passage in Matthew does not pertain to this. When I read this story it made me tear up. That is why I shared it. Just go ahead and feel good about the things other Christians are doing instead of finding a way to make it negative.
thanks for the kind reminder.
Just surfing around the 'net and came to see this blog.
I'll tell you what. We live in Hudson and my husband and I DON'T have a lot of money right now due to our job situation. We are middle-aged and currently our income is below the official US poverty line. Sometimes its hard going to Church here when everyone assumes you have a lot of money. (We don't go to the Chapel, sorry!)
A month ago, I was standing in line at Walgreen and a lady gave me a $3 coupon for something I had in my hand and I started crying at *that* gesture of kindness.
I'm sure this gesture meant so much to this woman and I'm sure that God led the person to her that day. Praise God and well done for being obedient to his command to help those who are less fortunate.
I was quite moved by what had transpired that day because I was the cashier in the story. During the situation I felt that God was not only speaking to this particular woman but was also speaking to me to follow him. I plan on attending your church and want to know more on the wonderous power to the Lord.
Joe, thanks for clarifying yesterday that the person who did the act of kindness was a man, not a lady (not that makes any difference). I also had the same reaction as you mention before, when I read this story, I WEPT!
Sorry I'm goofing up here. I only removed the comment because I meant to make it anonymous. Whoops. I have loved reading these stories and have told them to many people. I can't wait till next Christmas to plan on doing even more. of course random acts of kindness we can do any day of the year. This is a wonderful story here. Praise the Lord! And God bless all who gave generously and all who received graciously.
I was pulling into the Bainbridge shopping plaza just before Christmas when i saw a guy standing with a sign that said "will work for food,gas, diapers" You never know if these guys are scammers or not but it was really cold that day and I guess the word diapers really got me. So I turned around and gave him $30 and a "You've been gifted" card and said "God bless you" and drove to Walmart. When I left later, he was gone. I'll probably never know if I was scammed but even if I was perhaps a seed was planted when he read the card and knew that for a minute he was loved and honored. Perhaps that small amount of money really was a Christmas blessing to his family. Either way, I know God can always turn any situation from something bad into something good! amen.
I came to this website because honestly I have always wanted to go to HCC. And every school day I drive by ACC and I wonder if I can somehow attend the Women's Bible Study or Mother's group because we are members of another church. Now I just know I need to. I love the fact that the pastor asked everyone to go out and do random acts of kindness and it got me to thinking. What if we as Christians really put some thought into it and did one act of random kindness a day. And it doesn't have to be monetary - I know right now our family could not do that. But there are other things we can to show Christ's love. And isn't that we He commanded us to do - To love thy neighbor? Many Blessings To All
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