~ Day 13 ~
I remember that morning.
It was one of those mornings when alarms were ignored, breakfasts inhaled, shoes lost, shirts smudged, belts forgotten, children whined, and mama barked. All the while the hand on the clock decided to skip ahead 5 minutes for every passing second. We were late, the kids were frazzled, and I was done. Four down.
I remember strapping two squirmy little ones into car seats and peeling out of the parking lot. Can’t be late for coffee and Bible study at your own house, you know. Nice.
My attitude had taken over that particular morning, but I was smart enough to know that donuts would be an easy fix for the whiny ones in the back. In fact, I might have one… or two myself. In fact, I might get enough for everyone to share. I wasn’t going down this sugar road alone.
I sat in line at the Dunkin Donuts drive through (this donut thing, it’s just way too easy). My breathing slowed and I finally relaxed enough to tickle kicking feet behind me.
That’s when I felt it. Or heard it. I’m not sure. But, I knew what the message was,
Pay for the car behind you.
I mulled over the thought and replied,
Yea, I’m not sure if I have enough cash on me.
The Voice whispered again,
Pay for them.
The enemy had pretty much taken center stage this morning, and I had too easily given in to the worst parts of myself.
Only one way to turn this day around, and I knew the whispering Voice was the answer. He always is.
I smiled to myself and flipped off bad guy.
Screw you, devil.
I muttered those words as I pulled out some extra money. I paid for the car behind us and drove away. A Boston creme donut and a kick in the tail to my selfishness. Things were turning around that morning.
I shared my morning story with a girlfriend a little while later. She replied with a grin,
We just drove through that drive through and the lady at the window told me people had been paying for each other for about an hour now.
And, that’s how it starts. I’ve heard these stories again and again. Every time they make me smile.
Then, I realized the best part.
A few girlfriends have shared their own stories about drive through kindness. Anna remembers,
I was in the drive thru with my son very early on a cold, December morning on the way to his basketball game. As we got to the window, the barista told me that the car in front of us had paid for ours and told us ‘Merry Christmas!’ My son and I were shocked and thought that was awesome, so we happily paid for the 2 cars behind us, adding in ‘Merry Christmas’ too. My son talked about it for months. He was so proud that we paid it forward then and we do it today, every now and then. It was a great lesson for my son and today, I can still see the look on his face when we were told by the drive thru barista. Priceless.
And Ashley,
We have been through the drive thru at McDonald’s and had the people in front of us pay for our order. We then paid for the people behind us.
The best part… their kids were watching. They watched a good deed in action.
They watch everything we do. It’s when we share a good deed, when we pay it forward… it’s then that we pay it into an entire new generation.
And, that’s how it starts.
Priceless.
Psalm 71:18
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
