Give Unto Others

It was December 2011 - a not so banner year for me. I had just started working again full-time in radio after a small time of unemployment. In order to make ends meet, I had to keep a second job as a cashier at the Lynchburg Kroger. 
There were many long days then... working 8 hours for the station, then 4 or more hours at the store. I was just happy to get a paycheck, but little did I know that I would receive a much greater gift that December. 
It was one of those busy December evenings at Kroger, and the line of shoppers was endless. As I finished with one customer, I noticed a mother in her late 20s coming forward with her infant daughter. They had a full cart of groceries, and I suppose that this was to be their month's supply of food. 
The mother looked absolutely worn out from life, but she kept a positive spirit in light of her stresses. One by one she put each item on the conveyor belt, and one by one the total amount due grew higher and higher. Finally, we had scanned each of her items. Now, it was time for her to pay the bill and go home with her precious daughter. 
She swiped her bank card.
Declined. 
She tried again.
Declined. 
Feeling that she had no other options, she then began choosing which items they would go without this month. The mother sighed and was on the verge of tears, mainly from worry and embarrassment. 
Before she could start returning some of the items, an older lady spoke up from further back in the line. "Sir, I'll cover half of this mother's bill." 
Just then, a gentlemen behind the older lady said, "I'll handle the remaining half." 
People often speak of "paying it forward." Many times, I've seen others pay for someone else's food at McDonald's or coffee at Starbucks, but surely, I had never seen selfless giving such as this.
That night at the checkout line, there was not a dry eye in the house. 
As the lady and gentleman came forward to take care of the bill, the older lady looked at the teary-eyed young mother and pleasantly said, "Merry Christmas." 
A Merry Christmas indeed. 
I never saw any of those customers ever again, but I was reminded of this truth because of that moment. God gave us such a wonderful gift - His Son - some 2,000 years ago. During this Christmas season, let us give to others as God has given to us.

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