One particularly beautiful Sunday in December, I decided to take the long journey to my dad’s church in Goldonna. The sun was shining and the air was a little crisp with a slight breeze. As crisp as a Louisiana Sunday can be, anyway… it was the perfect day for a country drive. I joyfully loaded up my favorite Elevation Worship playlist and headed out the door. 

On the way there I intentionally left a little early because a Mickey D’s sausage muffin meal was calling my name. I had already decided if the line was too long it would be a sign from the Lord that I indeed did not need the extra tasty calories. As I made my way around the drive thru, the bright beams from the sun were shining down to confirm that it was an acceptable time to stop with barely any cars in line. I could already tell it was going to be a divine visit. 

After my order was placed, I was truly feeling the Christmas Spirit so I wanted to pay for the meal behind me just to show a small act of kindness. While I was surveying cars around me I noticed one of my youngest daughter’s friends in line as well. I have done this numerous times in the past, randomly, not knowing the recipient at all. But, it was truly going to bless me to treat one of her friends to a breakfast. The kids are Seniors this year and I know my days are numbered running into them in town. They will all be headed to college soon. 

While I wanted to be as generous as I am comfortable with, It does occasionally cross my mind…”What if they are buying breakfast for a whole family or work sight”? Or, in this case, “What if he is buying breakfast for the whole baseball team?”. He is super sweet like that. 

I do love Jesus but sometimes my budget is small. 

Throwing caution to the crisp December wind, I advised the employee at the window that I wanted to buy breakfast for the young man behind me in the gray truck. With a huge smile she said, “That is so nice, I love when people do this!”

I then proceeded to tell her, “Please tell him Mrs. Reba said Merry Christmas and he better be behaving himself”. (No worries, I have known this precious young man since Kindergarten and he has respectfully earned a small mischievous streak, as all of this group has. I knew he would laugh at my words and not take them to heart)

As I watched in my rearview mirror just to see if he smiled, I noticed he was giving money to the worker as he was pointing to the vehicle behind him. It stopped me in my small budget tracks. Although this young man is known to be generous, kind and full of personality, I never thought in a million years he would pass on the kindness. In my limited view of my own daughters, I feel like they would have been grateful if someone bought their breakfast but I am not sure if they would have passed the kindness on. I feel like most kids would not know to pass the blessing on to someone else. 

This day taught me differently. 

I have always heard of, and felt, “helpers high” or “givers glow”. This is the state of feeling positive emotions when you are charitable or offer selfless service to others. But, the feeling I had of watching a young man giving back, passing on the kindness, and paying it forward to someone else was probably one of the biggest blessings I have ever witnessed. I think I was more moved because there was no adult in the vehicle with him to encourage him to pass it on. He simply did this out of the goodness of his heart. Maybe he knew Santa was watching? His parents are raising a gem, I was barely out of the restaurant parking lot when my little friend’s mom texted me to tell me thank you from her son and he wanted me to know he passed the Mickey D’s blessing onto someone else. 

I hope and pray you find joy in 2025. Jesus is everywhere, we just have to stop for a little while to see what all he is doing in the people around us. 

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

Colossians 3:12-13

Reba Phelps jreba.phelps@gmail.com