Pay
It Forward
But He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for
our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 NKJV
When our son-in-law recently
resigned his job to accept a new position, he was blessed by fellow colleagues
with many well wishes, including a quilt, cards, a memory book, and gift cards
as he parted ways. One gift card was for Cracker Barrel.
The family made a plan to
enjoy supper out one evening at this fun restaurant. As soon as the last glass
of water was swallowed, silverware placed on plates, and soiled napkins bunched
into a pile, the waitress returned to their table with a big smile on her face.
When our son-in-law whipped out the gift card and tried to hand it to her, she
beamed and said, “Oh, no, sir, you don’t need to use that at all. Someone in
the restaurant paid for your meal.”
“Wow!” our daughter
exclaimed! Their daughters, chimed in, “Who paid for our dinner? Can you tell
us?”
“No,” the waitress
replied. “The person wanted to remain anonymous and bless your family.”
“Well, let’s keep this
thing going,” our son-in-law replied. It didn’t take but a moment for all four
in the family to look around the restaurant to pick out another family to
bless.
The waitress was only too
happy to participate in these two generous exchanges. She took the gift card to
the family they had selected as the Turner family headed out the door. The
person who paid it forward to my daughter’s family had no idea another family
would also be blessed by his kind act.
We’ve all heard stories
similar to this one. Occasionally we might be blessed by a generous donor who
pays in advance for our coffee or even a whole meal or maybe a utility bill.
The story of Jesus’s
generosity to pay it forward by leaving heaven for all of us is divine and
unparalleled. His death on the cross represents the ultimate gift for all of
mankind’s sins--past, present, and future. He paid His love, grace, mercy, and
forgiveness forward so that we could spend eternity with him
Some of us may be the
lucky recipient of a generous donor who anonymously pays for our coffee or a
dinner at a restaurant. But in truth, all of us receive Jesus’s “pay it
forward” gift of His sacrificial life on a daily basis.
Are you enjoying this
gift? Are you looking for ways to pay it forward to others who need to hear
Christ’s message of salvation?
Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and award-winning multi-genre author. She has been published in Guideposts, The Country Register, and Christian Devotions Ministry. Her children’s picture books are the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Editing award as well as the Purple Dragonfly award in 2020 and 2021. She and her husband make their home close to Colorado Springs where she enjoys gardening, hiking, oil painting, power walking, and spending time with her family, especially reading books to her grandchildren.
Becky is the author of Unintended Hero, a true
story about her father’s battles, experiences, and adventures in WWII aboard
the USS Denver. She is passionate about sharing the values from the
Greatest Generation and enjoys speaking to high school classes about
patriotism.
A member of ACFW and Allauthor, Becky has
devoted her website to creating and preserving family memories and sharing
family stories for the next generations through her monthly blogs.
You can find her at: https://beckyvanvleet.com.
She would love to hear from you, especially if you have a family story to share!
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