I was doing some research about service and came across this simple yet powerful story about the idea of service. I felt it was too good not to share.
A man was driving his car, when he saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road. He saw that she needed help. So he stopped his Pontiac near her Mercedes and got out.
He smiled, while he was approaching her, still she was worried, as nobody had stopped for hours. Moreover, he did not look safe, as his appearance was so poor and shabby. He could see, how frightened she was, so he tried to calm her: “ I‘m here to help you, don‘t worry. My name is Bryan Anderson“.
The tire was flat, so he had to crawl under the car. While changing the tire, he got dirty and his hands were hurt.
When the job was done, she asked how much she owed him for his help. Bryan smiled. He said, "If you really want to pay me back, the next time you see someone, who needs help, give that person the needed assistance. And think of me.”
That same evening, the lady stopped by a small cafe. That place looked dingy. Then she saw a waitress, nearly eight months pregnant and exhausted. However, the waitress had a sweet friendly smile, although she had spent on her feet the whole day.
The lady wondered how someone, who has so little, can be so kind and giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
The lady had finished her meal and paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress went to get change and when she came back, the lady was gone. She left a note on the napkin: “You don‘t own me anything. Somebody once helped me, just like now I‘m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, do not let this chain of love end with you.” The waitress found four more one hundred bills under the napkin.
That night the waitress came home earlier. She was thinking about the lady and the money she left. She was wondering, how the lady could know, how much she and her husband needed it? Especially now, when the baby will soon arrive, she knew, that her husband worried about that, so she was glad to tell him good news. Then she kissed him and whispered “Now everything will be all right. I love you, Bryan.”
You see serving one another is powerful. It is so powerful; we have no idea the impact it will have on the person or persons we are serving. In addition, serving others has the opportunity to unlock the potential blessings on us. Although many acts of service are very challenging, because they go against our human nature, the reward in our spirit is gratifying. Having the knowledge that we have had some significance in another person life is spirit lifting. My question is, “how can you change someone’s day by serving? “