There were a couple incidents that happened to me recently that restored my faith in humankind. When we watch or hear about all the bad things happening in the world, on the news, it can begin to feel a bit overwhelming. Too much consumption of bad news also has the ability to skew our vision of the world and make us a little too cynical and a lot less hopeful than we probably should be.

On a recent trip to the mall my mind was in a million different places, or as I like to describe it, I was on auto-pilot. Hurriedly, running back to the car after visiting a number of stores, I suddenly realized I didn’t have my purse. After revisiting all the places I had been, and being told no, no, no we don’t have your purse; panic was beginning to set in.

My friend suggested talking to one of the kiosk owners. Why would I do that when we never even visited the place? Desperation can make any idea sound like a good one. Surprisingly he told me yes, he had seen my purse; a woman gave him a little black purse and he handed it over to a security guard. Where was the purse found, I asked? Sitting on that couch over there, he pointed. Running to the security office I was doubtful that the cash, the credit cards, anything of value remained. A purse full of money, sitting on a couch, in the middle of a mall, on a busy Saturday afternoon, it was doubtful there was much left. When the security guard returned my purse to me everything was in tact. In fact, it didn’t even appear that it had been opened. I thanked God, felt blessed, and that was Miracle #1.

Miracle #2 begins with the big blurry, flurry of activity that always happens between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Have you ever just stopped, in the middle of it all, paused, and quietly gave thanks. Thanks for what, you might ask?  Maybe it was the clerk who had a smile on her face; as if you were the first person she greeted that day. When in reality, you were the recipient of her five hundredth smile after being yelled at by angry customers during the Christmas chaos. For me, I give thanks for the lady whose car door blew open.

. . . a note on the windshield, has caused ripples in me that will last a lifetime.

It was a cold, blustery West Michigan weekend and it was time for a quick run to store. The idea was to get in and out as quickly as possible.  Walking back out to the car, I had wind blown hair and red cheeks. After getting inside and pulling the car door shut, I noticed a tattered piece of paper stuck underneath my windshield wiper. It read, “I am very sorry. As I opened my door a strong gust of wind pushed the door open and it hit your car. I am visiting Michigan. My cell phone number is ###-###-####. Please call me and let me know how much I owe you. I am so sorry.” Reading those words forced me to think back to an hour earlier, when the same thing happened to me. I was lucky, my car door blew open but it didn’t hit another car. Nevertheless, what if it had? Would I have done the right thing, I wondered? I’d like to think so, but do I know for sure?  What would you have done if you found yourself in the same position? Meeting someone like her, someone who does the right thing, if only through a note on the windshield, has caused ripples in me that will last a lifetime.

After calling around and getting a couple quotes, cautiously I called the number on the tattered piece of paper. She explained to me that she was on her way back to South Carolina and leaving the country in a week. The quote ended up costing much more than both of us expected. She told me that she would put a check in the mail the following day.

Thinking about her and all of this, I’m just not sure I have ever encountered a stranger quite like Catherine before. She did the right thing when no one else was watching. She did the right thing, because in her words, “I wouldn’t think of doing anything else!” She said those words to me on the following Saturday night when she called to make sure I received the check. We spoke on the phone for close to an hour. I learned that she and her family were moving to the Philippines where they would continue their work as missionaries.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus instructed the apostles to make disciples. I think Catherine could be one of His star pupils. Each one of us would hope for the same result, a crinkled piece of paper left under the windshield wiper claiming responsibility.Would you also be the one leaving that little note, when no one is watching?

People learn a lot about you by observing your behavior. They can learn a little by listening to your words. Just pause for a moment. Watch all the little wonders happening around you. Don’t ever get too busy to notice the little things. Give yourself a gift this holiday season and just be grateful. Be grateful for the little things. Begin making a list, keep a grateful journal, and the New Year will begin to look brighter. I promise! All of God’s Blessings to you in 2013.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim Carson is an author and television/radio/internet personality. You can keep up with all of her adventures at www.FaithHopeAndLoveSongs.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/KimCarsonNOW.

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