Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Imagine yourself unable to speak, unable to move anything but your eyes, unable to even take a breath on your own.

Now imagine that you’ve been that way for seven years.

Would you be able to think of anyone other than yourself?

Marcy celebrated her birthday recently. Friends and family were kind enough to remember and sent a little money. 

Almost all our money goes to pay family bills. But birthday money is different. Somehow, we give ourselves permission to spend “our” birthday money on ourselves. The kids buy whatever gizmo, CD, or piece of clothing they have wanted. I usually put my birthday money towards bills – it’s a selfish way to relieve my mind.

Here’s how Marcy wanted to spend her birthday money:

On her first non-emergency trip out of the house in weeks, fighting through so much pain that she is now on a morphine pump, she led me to Aldi Foods to buy nonperishable items to take to the Nashville Rescue Mission to give to others. 

Marcy knows that as bad as things are for us, there are folks who are much worse than we.

And she’s done this before – she can’t not do it. Her condition is irrelevant.

She can and has prevented me from telling anyone of her good deeds in the past. And I had to put on my selling shoes for her to let me tell you this one now.

I know and she knows that we should do charitable deeds in secret, without “sounding a trumpet” that we may have glory from men.

But the whole idea of this space is to encourage readers to help others. I’m thinking that telling Marcy’s example does more good than harm. She didn’t do this so I would write about it – God knows her heart.

With everything going on in health care these days, I’ve wondered if a day is near when someone in charge will say Marcy is not a contributing, productive member of society and that Medicare can’t afford to keep her. Maybe you know someone in a similar place.

I believe that when you have finished doing what God put you here to do, He brings you home. Marcy’s birthday “party” proves she is still getting it done.

If you know someone in need, you have resources that can help today. You don’t have to be blessed with riches to richly bless.