“Pay It Forward” is the concept of doing a
good deed for someone, but asking that the good deed be passed on to someone
else, rather than back to the person who did the good deed in the first
place (are you keeping up!!) So, basically, YOU do something good for someone,
and THEY do something good for someone else in return, and so on down the line.
Eventually that would mean EVERYONE would be doing good deeds for each other, and
we would all benefit from ONE act of kindness. However, the concept doesn’t take
into account that not everyone would “Pay It Forward” and the link would be broken.
But, having said that, the law of the Universe states that “you get what you give”,
so i’m sure some good would return to you in some way. So hesitate no more. Do a good turn
for someone today, and when they ask you how they can ever repay you, just tell them to “Pay It Forward”.
An example of pay it forward is Louise Redden, a poorly
dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery
store.
She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked
if he would let her charge a few groceries.
She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work,
they had seven children and they needed food.
John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave
his store at once.
Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you
the money just as soon as I can. '
John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a
charge account at his store.
Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the
conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the
grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.
The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, 'Do you have a grocery list?'
Louise replied, 'Yes sir.' 'OK' he said, 'put your grocery list on the
scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that
amount in groceries.'
Louise, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her
purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She
then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still
bowed.
The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed a amazement when the
scales went down and stayed down.
The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and
said begrudgingly, 'I can't believe it.'
The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the
other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to
put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more
The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece
of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.
It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:
'Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.'
The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in
stunned silence.
Louise thanked him and left the store.
The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said;
'It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer
weighs.'
