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!
It is amazing what a little extra care for someone can do. Our offices are being painted - while we are still working. Things are displaced all over the place, the walls are wet and the corridors narrow. I've made a special effort to be nice to the painters; it can't be easy always having to interrupt other's work in order to do your own.
ReplyDeleteGive, and it will be given to you...
Jami,
ReplyDeleteI am so blessed by your story, and relate so well to so many parts of it (the same worry of how much the order behind us would be & how to speed away fast w/o getting caught).
My heart has been truly touched reading your post this morning because that is exactly what we experienced over and over again last year as a family during our Advent Calendar Project. That is why I wanted to pass along this idea to others - because it is that powerful! Especially practicing "random acts of kindness."
One idea I had picked up & we did last year was to place "prayer cards" under people's car windshield wipers. I went to Family Christian and bought those $.10 (I think) little cards (and used a coupon) with great messages on them like: God loves you! or Someone is praying for you today! type cards. Just simple messages of God's love.
I found small envelopes and sealed one in each envelope. The kids would "take turns" being the one to anonymously find that one car they wanted to put it on (it had to be where no one was around at all).
As we'd drive away, we'd say, "God bless you!"
I think the kids thought this idea was one of our better ones :)
What GREAT memories we made during our "project". It'll be exciting to read in your posts more lessons learned along the way :)