Instant Karma

Last night we watched our most recent Netflix arrival, House Season 6 Disc 2, which (coincidentally enough) was supposed to arrive last weekend but got stuck in the USPS machines and was delayed in its arrival.  However, House doesn't believe in coincidences, and neither do I.  Granted it is for different reasons that we agree.  See I don't believe in coincidences, I believe in God's providence.  I also don't believe in "Instant Karma" I believe in God's will; however, I do believe in catchy blog titles.  So now I've babbled long enough... I'm sure you're all wondering, "Where is she GOING with this????"

As previously mentioned on this blog, the Kastner family (inspired by DFL - dear friend Lori) has embarked upon an Advent Project this year.  As a family, we talked about what this season REALLY means. What is Christmas all about?  After arriving at the conclusion that it is all about JESUS, we discussed the concept of focusing HARD during these days leading up to Christmas on honoring Jesus, on showing Him we love Him.  We have challenged ourselves, personally and as a family, to seek out ways to HONOR Him with all we do.

So last night we had to pick John up in Hartford (trusty old Buick needs brakes, tires, and HEAT).  We were stalling for time and it was approaching (and passing) dinner time. So I decided to pick up a small snack at McD's.  (Dinner was planned and waiting at home, but kids, and mom, were getting cranky from hunger NOW.) So anyways there we were sitting in the drive thru when I remember our project.  I remember Lori mentioning something about paying for the person behind her in the drive thru.  (I have ALWAYS wanted to do that!  But I am typically counting pennies, paying the lady with handfuls of change when I am at McD's.)  Well we are not rolling in the dough this Christmas; however, we are more "caught up" then we have been in a long time and I decided, "Let's do it!"  

So I presented the idea to the kids.  They were VERY enthusiastic in their answer.  As we pulled up for our turn to order, Noah said, "I'm so excited I'm trembling!"  I'm not gonna lie, I was a little scared.  What if the person behind us was taking burgers back to a houseful of people and I ended up paying thousands of dollars???  I tried to calm myself with realizations that I have A LOT of kids and even when they are allowed to "order stuff that's not on the dollar menu" we don't typically go over $40 at McDonalds.  We pulled up to the window to pay.  

After paying for our food ($5.99), I told the lady, "We would like pay for the person behind us."  

She said, "Do you know them?"

I said, "No.  We just want to do something nice for someone."

She said, "Okay, but I have to tell you, their order came to $26.04."  (Figures!  That is just the Jami-luck at work there!)

I smiled.  "That's fine," I replied.  "We just want you to tell them to 'Have a Merry Christmas.' "  

The kids were staring out the back window at the car behind us.  "They have a girl your age Noah."  Jeremiah said.

"I wish we could SEE their faces!"  Noah added.

It was such a priceless and PRECIOUS moment for us!  Well worth every penny of that HUGE order behind us :)  We were a little stymied in our getaway attempt.  This McD's was under construction, and it was dinner time and we had to weave around cars and then drive 3/4 of the way back around the building just to get out.  I fretted a little over getting caught.  So, ever the teacher (you have to be when you're a homeschooling mom), I started to instruct the kids, "Sometimes the best part of blessing someone is doing it secretly."  FINALLY with all the finesse of Maxwell Smart, we exited the parking lot.  

It was a great life lesson for my children.  They LOVED perpetrating a Random Act of Kindness.  However, that's not where the lesson ended for this family.  Nopes!  This time God had more.

We arrived home to find a riding lawn mower parked next to our porch.  It wasn't just ANY riding lawn mower.  It was the riding lawn mower we had borrowed all summer.  (I tried to find something in my blog about this but I can't.  REALLY!?!?!?  Did I REALLY not blog at ALL about the fact that our neighbors down the street saw us trying to push mow our 2 acres and offered to let us borrow their riding mower, "Any time... As long as you need to..."  How is that POSSIBLE!?!?!  It was one of the GREATEST blessings in the history of blessings!  Regardless, all summer long we had been borrowing this mower.)  As we pulled up next to it, we saw a bunch of stuff on the seat.  John climbed out of the van and checked it out.  It was an owner's manual, cables...  Could it be?  NO!  There's no way!!!  John said, "It looks like they are giving this to us."  We were dumbfounded.

Well he drove down the cul de sac and had a chat with our neighbors and SURE ENOUGH!  They gave us this lawn mower!  The man told John that from the first time we borrowed the mower, God had laid it upon his heart that it would be ours.  All summer long, he planned that come Christmas he would give us this mower.  He said he drove it up to his house, all decked out in his Santa hat, but we weren't home.  What an INCREDIBLE blessing!  How AMAZ-ZUH-ZING!  

Now please do NOT get me wrong.  The purpose of our blessing that stranger at McDonald's was BLESSING SOMEONE!  We had NO hidden agenda.  We did NOT expect (or even necessarily want) to be blessed back for it.  Just the joy of surprising someone unexpectedly like that was enough for us!  Yet still I was VERY grateful.  Not just for the AMAZING, nearly brand new lawn mower that is now parked in our garage, but mostly for the lessons my children had learned this day.  So many their heads were spinning:  

*it's a GREAT thing to give

*giving anonymously and surprisingly is an adventure

*honoring Jesus is not only the right thing to do it is SOOOOO exciting

*when you obey God irregardless of the consequences ($26.04 McDonalds bill behind us) He takes CARE of you (riding lawn mower - Merry Christmas!)

So today instead of just inspiration blanketed in a mumbo jumbo of words, I am also presenting you with a challenge.... a dare of sorts...

Dare to do something EXTRAVAGANT for someone today.  Just for the SOLE purpose of blessing them.  It doesn't have to be monetary!  Answer a grumpy person with an encouraging word.  Offer to help a coworker with their workload.  Stop to help a busy mother load her groceries into her van.  Do it because it is good Karma :)  Do it because it honors Jesus.  Do it because it is the RIGHT, KIND, Christmassy thing to do.  But don't be surprised if it comes RIGHT back to you with lightening speed.

Have a GREAT day everyone!  

An open Thank You to all of our Christmas Angels

This Christmas, the one which closed out the most difficult year in the history of the Kastner family, was the best Christmas we have EVER had. Thanks entirely to the generosity of God's Christmas Angels, the Kastner children had a better Christmas then they have ever had before.

As Christmas approached, John and I started to realize that we might not be able to give the children any Christmas gifts this year. God was so generously providing for our needs during this time; however, we weren't sure presents would qualify as a need. So many had given us generous gifts, and we were sure God would get us through the rest of this trial with food in our bellies and a roof over our heads; however, we did not at all anticipate the "cherry on top of the sundae" He would provide. We gently began to prepare the children for this reality. Jeremiah so wise beyond his years said, "That's okay mom. I have everything I need in this wonderful family."

But then in a gesture designed solely to show us how much He loves us. In a totally unnecessary and purely lavish act, God impressed upon Christmas Angels to bless us. First from New Mexico arrived the presents Santa "accidentally delivered" to the wrong place. Then the cafeteria ladies from John's building sent home a ridiculous amount of loot for the children. Finally, we were contacted by our church and told a family from the community would like to provide presents for our Christmas. And of course there were the typical GOBS of presents the children are always blessed with from Oma, Poppa, and Riri. We were blessed beyond measure with an AMAZING Christmas. While I am eternally grateful for the smiles on the faces of our children and the joy in their hearts over all the Christmas presents they received, it is for the intangible, everlasting gifts that I am most grateful. Our children learned lessons of generosity and kindness that I do not think they will ever forget. Through the gifts of our Christmas Angels, our children learned that God doesn't just care for their needs He cares for their wants too. Through the gifts of our Christmas Angels, our children were inspired, and they are already saving some of their allowance for next Christmas so they can bless a family just like we were blessed.

John and I were humbled to the point of tears over the charitable gifts we were given this Christmas (and actually since the beginning of this ordeal), but it is not for the tangible things that I am finding myself most grateful. I am finding myself most grateful that my children know, I mean REALLY know, that God will always provide for them. That they have learned to depend on Him and Him alone for all their needs. That they have learned to be humble and generous and to always look for ways to bless others. Truly this brain surgery, this entire year.... what Satan had crafted to be the destruction of this family and our faith has become our greatest triumph. We are stronger than we were at the beginning of 2009 and we will NEVER let go of the faith that got us through all of this.

Thank you to ALL of our Angels (Christmas, Fall, rent, and food Angels). We are truly blessed because of you.

The Library, Wal-Mart, and Random Kindness

This story is a little old, but it is a GREAT read so I am recycling it as a new post here on this blog.

On Wednesday, I waited for my husband, John, to return home so I could go run my errands; however, by the time he arrived home from work at 6:30 p.m., I was too exhausted to go anywhere. Therefore, Thursday I decided to be brave and attempt my errands with all four children tagging along.

We set out for our first stop, the library. As the typical protocol is to be quiet in a library, this looked to be our most harrowing endeavor. Upon arrival in the parking lot, I promptly put four-year old Jeremiah and two-year old Elijah in the double stroller (ensuring that Jeremiah was in the back seat, because whenever Elijah is in the back, he pulls the hair of whoever is in the front). I then got one-month old Hannah situated in the baby-sling and grabbed my purse. With six year-old Noah walking alongside me, I headed into the library.

It was a very successful trip. I did have to say "Shhhhhh" about a hundred times; however, other than that, it was quite uneventful. Each of the boys got a book and a DVD. I got several items I'd requested, and we left in an orderly fashion. I wasn't really feeling prideful (just lucky) so I'm not certain how to explain the "fall" which came next. I guess I just pushed my luck too far.

We arrived at Wal-Mart, and all appeared to be going well; made it through the baby section without incident, and then on the way to the paper products and cleaning section it began. Hannah started fussing, which as is typical for many newborns was a few seconds of pitiful mewling mixed with moments of sheer ticked off SCREAMING. Jeremiah and Elijah took this as their cue to begin pulling as many items as they could off the shelves we passed. Noah was the only bright spot in a very dismal Wal-Mart experience. As I again had Jeremiah and Elijah in the stroller and Hannah in the sling, Noah was pushing the cart and obediently filling it with the items I handed him.

Since all mayhem was breaking out, I had to abandon my efforts to track how much I was spending and make sure that I stayed within my budget. I just threw caution to the wind and got everything on my list hoping the total would not be too shocking. We finally had all the items we needed and proceeded to the checkout.

Now for some reason there were only about two non-express lanes open at this time and there were about six people in line at each of those registers. I took my place in line with Hannah screaming her head off and Jeremiah and Elijah now trying to pocket candy as we passed through the lane. I contemplated trying to nurse Hannah right there in the sling, but determined that the little boy in front of us would see WAY more of me than he needed to, so I instead just kept bouncing Hannah and whispering to her. Finally when we were about three from being checked out, an associate came up to me and said, "I can take you on aisle 12." I hightailed it over there, and Noah and I emptied our cart onto the belt.

After what felt like hours of being in Wal-Mart, the end was in sight. The checker gave me my total. I handed her my coupons and then used a $25 gift card to pay the first part of it. Then I took out my debit card to pay the balance (about $40). I swiped my card and chose credit. It was declined. I swiped it again...declined. At this point I was sweating, Hannah was screaming, Elijah and Jeremiah were tired of trying to shoplift and were now attempting to escape from the stroller. Noah was still behaving WONDERFULLY. I swiped my card again and tried debit. Still no go. I was ready to cry. Much to their credit, the people in line behind me had nothing but sympathy on their faces and not a one of them made an irritated sound. I called John and told him of my plight. He said he'd be there in five minutes with cash to pay the bill.

Just then the shopper at the next register turned to my checker and handed over her credit card. She said, “Put her total on my card.” I was stunned. I don't think she even knew or asked what the total was. She said to me, “I have two kids at home and I have no idea how you're doing this with four.” I asked her to please give me her name and address so I could send her a check. She agreed; however, she didn't know me from Adam so she had no way of knowing that I would really send a check. She paid my bill, with me thanking her profusely, and never blinked an eye. The kids and I left the store and headed for the car.

As we were loading the van, John drove up and my angel of mercy (who just happened to be parked right across from me) got to her car with her purchases. I was able to send John to get cash for her and to talk with her for a few minutes, thanking her over and over again.
The lesson I learned that night: don't go to Wal-Mart with more children than you have arms. Upon arriving home, I checked my bank account online, and sure enough there was PLENTY of money in there. I have no idea why that happened. All I know is that my faith in humanity grew a little that night, when I was the recipient of someone's random kindness and I learned that there is an angel in Franklin named Aimee.

Blog writer's note: That angel in Franklin has now been my dear friend for almost 3 years, and many times over the course of our friendship I have again been the recipient of her random acts of kindess.