The Daily Good and Help Others never disappoints. A few posts back I mentioned that two of my favorite newsletters are The Daily Good and Help Others. Now that I've come up for air I've read this past weeks stories and wanted to share three worthy of repeating. Well all of their stories are all worthy of repeating but I want to share these particular three.
#1 - Melody of Birds on a Wire
While reading a newspaper, Jarbas Agnelli was struck by a photograph of birds on an electric wire. Their positioning on several wires made him think of a musical staff. He cut out the photograph and decided to make a song, using the bird's exact locations to determine which notes to play."I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe," Agnelli says in an explanation on his website. "I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating."
He sent his newly composed melody to the photographer, Paulo Pinto. The photographer told a reporter, and his story ended up in the same newspaper that inspired him.
#2 - Message In a Wallet
Many years ago, when I was in high school and working weekends to pay for the extras that my folks couldn't really afford (like a school ring, class trip, etc.), I lost my wallet.
My old car required putting gas in the back (remember that?). I had prepaid and then put my wallet on the bumper, and drove off. I hadn't even had time to miss it when our phone rang and a man asked me if I had lost my wallet. I checked my purse and to my horror, I had. He asked me to tell him how much $$ was in it, and I told him. He then told me where to pickup my wallet.
As I pulled into his driveway, I noticed his handicapped van and the ramp going up to the house. I was thinking that there is no way this man easily got out of his van and got my wallet off the street. He had to pull over, get in his wheelchair, lower the lift, and then pick it up. I was just amazed. I felt humble.
I knocked on the door and he told me to come in. I thanked him like 10 times for finding my wallet. I was stuck, though. While I didn't want to insult him by offering money, I really felt like offering something. So I asked him if there was anything I could do to repay his kindness, and he said "Just pass it on". I said I would be certain to do that. I was raised to be honest in any account and I would have done so, without promising this fellow I would, but I wanted to repay his kindness, so I wholeheartedly promised I would.
Well, one does not find many wallets and so it was about 10 yrs later that I found one. I almost stepped on it! It took me me several days to track down the young man to whom the wallet belonged. He lived in another state, about 60 miles away from where I found the wallet. I hated going through his wallet, but I finally located him through a pay stub he had in it. When he called me back, we agreed to meet, so I could return his wallet.
He was actually surprised his $ was still in the wallet and he tried to hand me a $20.00. I told him "Thanks, but just pass it on" ...
My old car required putting gas in the back (remember that?). I had prepaid and then put my wallet on the bumper, and drove off. I hadn't even had time to miss it when our phone rang and a man asked me if I had lost my wallet. I checked my purse and to my horror, I had. He asked me to tell him how much $$ was in it, and I told him. He then told me where to pickup my wallet.
As I pulled into his driveway, I noticed his handicapped van and the ramp going up to the house. I was thinking that there is no way this man easily got out of his van and got my wallet off the street. He had to pull over, get in his wheelchair, lower the lift, and then pick it up. I was just amazed. I felt humble.
I knocked on the door and he told me to come in. I thanked him like 10 times for finding my wallet. I was stuck, though. While I didn't want to insult him by offering money, I really felt like offering something. So I asked him if there was anything I could do to repay his kindness, and he said "Just pass it on". I said I would be certain to do that. I was raised to be honest in any account and I would have done so, without promising this fellow I would, but I wanted to repay his kindness, so I wholeheartedly promised I would.
Well, one does not find many wallets and so it was about 10 yrs later that I found one. I almost stepped on it! It took me me several days to track down the young man to whom the wallet belonged. He lived in another state, about 60 miles away from where I found the wallet. I hated going through his wallet, but I finally located him through a pay stub he had in it. When he called me back, we agreed to meet, so I could return his wallet.
He was actually surprised his $ was still in the wallet and he tried to hand me a $20.00. I told him "Thanks, but just pass it on" ...
#3 - Accepting a Blessing and Passing It On
Last Sunday, a woman told me that she felt led to give me twenty dollars. She wanted me to use the money for whatever I needed. I tried not to take it, but she insisted and so I took it and thanked her. I didn't need the money, but I knew there must be a reason for her giving it to me.
The next day, Monday, I went to work. A different woman was walking by the store I worked at. She was limping, and didn't look to be very well. I knew her and called out, asking her how she was doing.
She responded with her sad situation. Her husband had died recently, she had to quit her job because of her health, and on top of that, she wasn't drawing her disability benefits as yet. I told her the story about the $20, and asked her if she would accept it. She tried not to take it, just as I had done, but finally I got her to take it. Before she went on her way, she let me know that she really needed the money, and she thanked me.
The lesson I learned was: don't pass up someone trying to give you a blessing because there just might be a reason for it. Just accept it and pass it on!
The next day, Monday, I went to work. A different woman was walking by the store I worked at. She was limping, and didn't look to be very well. I knew her and called out, asking her how she was doing.
She responded with her sad situation. Her husband had died recently, she had to quit her job because of her health, and on top of that, she wasn't drawing her disability benefits as yet. I told her the story about the $20, and asked her if she would accept it. She tried not to take it, just as I had done, but finally I got her to take it. Before she went on her way, she let me know that she really needed the money, and she thanked me.
The lesson I learned was: don't pass up someone trying to give you a blessing because there just might be a reason for it. Just accept it and pass it on!
I hope that those stories made you smile. Have a great day.
This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalms 118:24, NASB)
I loved that you shared this, my beautiful friend. So few people would make the effort to track people down to return a wallet and we SO need more people like this in our lives. I welcome any opportunity to do something like that for someone. It's a win/win. The finder gets to feel so good about it, let alone the person that lost something. You are so fabulous!!! I hope you have a happy new year!!
ReplyDeleteI'm soooooooooo glad you're back! I know I said that already, but it bears repeating!
ReplyDeleteLoved this post! It actually reminded me of some money tales of my own.
You share some of the best stuff!