I bet you haven't seen this before
One day, a man noticed an elderly woman stranded on the side of the road. Even in the fading light, he could tell she needed help. He pulled his sputtering Pontiac in front of her Mercedes and stepped out.
Despite the warm smile on his face, the woman looked uneasy. No one had stopped for over an hour. Was he safe? He didn’t look wealthy. In fact, he looked tired and worn. Standing there in the cold, she felt that familiar chill that only fear can bring.
Sensing her worry, he said gently, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? My name is Bryan Anderson.”
All she had was a flat tire, but at her age, that felt overwhelming enough.
Bryan crawled under the car, scraping his knuckles as he searched for a place to position the jack. His hands hurt and his clothes got dirty, but before long, the tire was changed. As he tightened the lug nuts, the woman rolled down her window and struck up a conversation. She told him she was from St. Louis and just passing through. She thanked him again and again for stopping to help.
When he finished, she asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been fine with her. She had already imagined all the terrible things that could have happened if he hadn’t stopped.
Bryan never even considered taking her money. To him, this wasn’t a job. It was simply helping someone in need, just as others had helped him in the past. That’s how he had always lived.
Instead, he told her, “If you really want to pay me back, the next time you see someone who needs help, give them a hand. And think of me.”
He watched as she started her car and drove away. It had been a cold, gloomy day, but as Bryan headed home, disappearing into the twilight, he felt good inside.
A few miles down the road, the woman stopped at a small café to warm up and grab a bite before continuing her journey. The place was modest, with two old gas pumps outside. Everything about it felt unfamiliar.
A waitress approached with a clean towel for her damp hair and a kind smile that fatigue couldn’t erase. The woman noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, yet she never let the strain show.
The elderly woman wondered how someone with so little could be so giving. Then she remembered Bryan.
After finishing her meal, she paid with a hundred-dollar bill. As the waitress went to get change, the woman quietly slipped out the door. By the time the waitress returned, she was gone.
That’s when the waitress noticed something written on the napkin. Tears filled her eyes as she read:
“You don’t owe me anything. I’ve been there too. Someone once helped me the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don’t let this chain of love end with you.”
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.
There were tables to clear and customers to serve, but the waitress made it through the rest of her shift. That night, as she climbed into bed, she thought about the money and the message. With the baby due next month, they had been so worried. How could that woman have known exactly how much they needed help?
She leaned over, kissed her sleeping husband softly, and whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”
There’s an old saying: What goes around comes around.
Today, I’m passing this story on to you. Let this light shine. God works in mysterious ways and places people in our lives for a reason.
Don’t delete it. Don’t send it back.
Just pass it on. I did.
~ Credit goes to respective owners
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