I'm mad at myself that I'm up so late upset but after I just posted the 1st Rant- I took a deep breath and thought about the story Mike told me today. I get teary every time I think about it.
Those of you in Georgia know that it has been raining cats and dogs for almost 2 days now. We did a garage sale Friday and it was freezing. If you don't know anything about Georgia... it literally was almost 80 degrees earlier this week and then freezing with rain approaching on Friday. It has rained non stop since. It's pouring now and it's very late.
We did great on Friday and Mike had wanted to work on the shelving in the garage so he got up this morning and opened the sale back up. He worked, the girls played and I was working on the PTA newsletter.
Mike thought about closing up shop and a woman showed up. She saw all the new items we had priced at rock bottom prices from deals I do to help show how to do the coupons and prove it can work. We had several bags of cat and dog IAMS food for $2.00 each. We don't have pets!
She looked at Mike and started crying. It threw Mike and she asked him if he really was selling the pet food for that price. Mike said yes and he would cut her a deal. She told Mike that she debated coming into our neighborhood because she didn't know if she could make it home in her car. And if Mike thought she was legit and true... I believe she was. She really started crying and said she just went to the grocery store, was trying to figure out how to feed her 3 kids and she made the decision at the store that she couldn't feed their pets. She had $20 left for the next week if she didn't get any other work this next week.
I love my husband to death but he isn't a sucker for sob stories like I am. But she touched him and he gave her the pet food plus food from our pantry and cleaning supplies since she cleans houses. She offered to pay the $20 and insisted Mike take $10 for everything.
People can call us crazy and we did good again doing the garage sale. This is just one more reason that this is a ministry and we are blessed to be able to help people really in need.
While my heart feels good about this encounter and feeling we made a difference... it's just such a sad example of how so many people are hurting right now.
2 comments:
You made me cry with this one! I would have done the same thing for that lady. I think we are all praying for better days in the economy, but for now whatever I can do for someone else I will with things like they are.
Oh thatis such a *wonderful* story. When I got to the part about her not being able to feed her pets and happening upon your sale, I just got shivers, and said out loud, "Oh, how wonderful!" Big smile here. ... I got a similar feeling when the Boy Scout came by last week for a food drive, and I was able to fill two bags. And then last night, my "sister in law" and her boyfriend came over. She loves Diet Pepsi, so I said, "Here, take these two -- they were free." :-) Thanks for the wonderful break -- now back to work for me. :-)
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