Yesterday I had a fun filled day with my dear friend Regina. We had been dragging our kids to one store after the other and as nap time quickly came and went we felt like we had one more store in us, Deseret Industries. Now Regina and I are cut from the same mold, we both love a good find and restoring furniture is a hobby so a trip to D. I. is always fun...and the kids love it too! So there we were, two carts between us finding great deals and trying to keep the kids close. We were finally ready to check out so we split up in two lines.
I noticed this lady checking out two people ahead of me had this adorable children's chair in her cart and I made a comment to her telling her how cute it was and that , jokingly, if she changed her mind I'd gladly take it off her hands! She was so adorable and excitedly told me " I know!! Isn't it great! I found a matching one like this a month ago here and this one will complete my set!" I know exactly how she was feeling! I get almost explosive inside when I find exactly what I am looking for!!! We smiled and parted and I started checking out my own items. As she finished she walked past my register and showed the cashier her recite and goes on to tell her " I just bought this chair but I would like to give it to this sweet girl for a Christmas present!" I was shocked! I saw the joy in her eyes to be able to give it away knowing how much I admired it. I didn't even try not to accept it because I could see how happy she was to do it! I left my register and gave her the biggest hug! I was touched and moved to tears that she would sacrifice her great find! Regina looked at me and we both were just so surprised! I thanked her and thanked her again and she was out the door.
I was seriously so happy! It was only a $3 chair that I could have easily paid her for but the greater gift was that she put aside her excitement of finding the perfect chair to complete a set and so willingly just handed it over to me, a perfect stranger!
I learned so much from this sweet lady! What a reminder of charity and pure love of Christ. It may sound silly to you guys but that gift of that chair really made an impact on me. I was touched by the simple generosity of a stranger willing to make me happy, not knowing who I was or my circumstances. What if I had been furnishing my home and that was the only way I was able to afford to do so, by shopping second hand. Or what if I had been reminded of a childhood memory when I saw that sweet chair. She knew nothing about me. She didn't know that that gift easily made my day not because I now have a chair but because I am more excited to "Pay if forward" and return the favor to another unsuspecting stranger!
Isn't this the reason for the season! To be like Christ and serve our neighbor in his honor! I am so grateful for that lesson I witnessed yesterday. I hope I can make as big of an impact on someone else's heart as she did mine!
