We all have times in our lives when we need help from strangers. If you are a boater, you appreciate a tow to shore when your boat stops.  Along the roadside, you are thrilled when someone stops to help after hitting a deer or getting a flat tire. When driving, it is nice when someone lets you in their lane.  At a coffee shop, it is fun when the person in front of you surprises you and pays for your order. I can think of many times in our lives that we have been the recipient and I am sure you are thinking of many more examples of one good deed.

Pay It Forward

Do you remember the Pay It Forward movie made in 2000?  A teacher gives an assignment to his class to pay it forward. It is the story of how this human kindness blossoms. What a great concept and assignment!

Pay it forward or one good deed is when we do an act of kindness without repayment from others.  I witnessed a great example of this recently.

The Good Deed

Steve and I were on an Alice trip (Alice is our Sprinter Van) and we were in “No Where” Iowa.  We pulled off the road at a little gas station.  There was one other car in the parking lot.  It looked very odd since three women were under their car! 

We went over to see how we could help these women.  They were driving and their oil pan (metal shield) came off from below their car.  It fell off all except for one screw.  The metal shield was dragging and had become scrunched under the car.  They could no longer drive.  The women were under their car with the only tool they had, a small pocketknife, trying to take the pan off so they could continue driving.

The next step was Steve to the rescue.  He had tools, muscle and know-how and was able to get the sheet off the bottom of the SUV. It took him about 20 minutes.  Needless to say, the mother and two daughters were thrilled and thanked Steve profusely then off they went. 

The details of their story were this family from Illinois, was headed to Idaho to support a third daughter who was just diagnosed with a terrible tumor.  They were truly stranded and did not have many options, but they were determined to get to Idaho. 

This one good deed from Steve, that took 20 minutes of his time, saved them hours of time.  I hope the rest of their 15-hour drive was uneventful and wish this family and sick daughter all the best.

This incident reminded me of how much we need each other and how paying it forward has such a huge impact on others.  I want to be the person who looks for opportunities to pay it forward or do at least one good deed on a daily basis.