When Kindness Is Repaid With More Kindness
There are certain professions that are more than just jobs -- they are a calling. The people who do them don’t do so for money or fame or prosperity. They do them out of a desire to serve and help others.
This can be said for firefighters. These brave men and women run into blazing fires whereas most folks would run away! They regularly risk their own lives to save the lives of others. It’s hard and sometimes under appreciated work.
Credit: ABC News
And so, after one grueling night of work, New Jersey firefighters Paul Hullings and Tim Young stopped off to grab a bite to eat. But God had planned a special treat for them that night!
Being the middle of the night, the diner was not very busy. And so, Paul and Tim had the opportunity to chat quite a bit with their waitress, Liz. They told her all about the huge warehouse fire they had spent the night fighting. And that’s when Liz decided to honor these two heroes by picking up their tab and writing them a heartfelt message of gratitude.
The note read:
“Your breakfast is on me today - thank you for all that you do. For serving others and for running into the places everyone else runs away from. No matter your role, you are courageous, brave, and strong...Thank you for being bold...everyday! Fueled by fire and driven by courage - what an example you are. Get some rest!”
Credit: Facebook
This simple act of kindness meant so much to the exhausted firefighters:
"I started tearing up and it made me feel good – us firefighters are wanted, people care about us."
And so they posted a picture of the note on Facebook.
From the attention that the post got, the men soon learned that the waitress, Liz, was working hard to raise money to buy her quadriplegic dad the wheelchair accessible van he so desperately needed.
Credit: Facebook
So, the firefighters decided to repay the kindness Liz had shown them.
At the time, Liz had only managed to raise roughly half of what was needed to purchase a vehicle suitable for her father’s needs. But Paul and Tim shared her dad’s story via Facebook, (as well as donated themselves), and the support rolled in.
Credit: gofundme
It was not long before the total donations surpassed $60,000 and Liz’s wildest dreams.
To see Liz’s reaction to the flood of donations, watch below:
What an amazing demonstration of the power one simple act of kindness can invoke. God has called us to love and serve one another. And amazing things happen when we repay kindness with kindness!
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:10
h/t: GodUpdates