The Gift of "Paying It Forward" - A True Story

Today's post is a great one about "Paying it Forward" at Christmas.  I hope you all that a minute to read the post in it's entirety.

Today, I want to share a story that was recently published in the book, Brother J - Soul of a Champion by J. Bartley Whiting.  It's written by me and included in the book on page 165-166.

It was December 1990.  We had just left the military a year earlier.  My husband had one more year to finish up his bachelor's degree at BYU.  We were poor (older) college students with four children under the age of eight.  Times were tight.  Thinking of ways to be creative for Christmas, I couldn't figure out what to give the kids for Christmas on a nearly $0 budget.  I wondered if BYU had an old, beat-up football in the equipment room. I called the athletic department and was connected with Brother Floyd Johnson.  Asking him if there was an old practice football that wasn't used anymore, he was curious why and I told him the situation.  Brother Floyd responded, "Let me see what I can find around here".  I gave him my address and my thanks.

A few days later the doorbell rang.  There stood coach Norm Chow and a few football players.  They had a football with an envelope.  The football was an actual game ball that had "BYU" stamped on it and had been signed by Ty Detmer and the players on the team.  I was a 1984 graduate when BYU won the National Championships, so to see them on my doorstep was a real treat.  They wished us a Merry Christmas and handed us the gifts.  I opened the envelope and inside was $500 cash in $20 increments!  I broke down in tears.  That was THE BEST Christmas we ever had.  To this day, I have that football in my curio cabinet.  It's a constant reminder to "pay it forward" and every Christmas we have, for someone in need.  We will always remember Brother Floyd and his generosity.  He holds a very special place in our hearts.  We will NEVER forget his kindness.

Sue Baddley

Brother J, Soul of a Champion by J. Bartley Whiting, p 165-166

Our football is fading, but the spirit is alive
and a constant reminder to give to those in need!

I share this story because even while we travel in the RV, we haven't left the opportunity to "pay it forward" lapse.  We have developed a Spirit of Giving attitude all year long.  We rarely have presents for ourselves at Christmastime (we prefer it that way)...we just love giving and it bring us such joy!

When our kids decided to draw family names for Christmas this year, our oldest son Ryan suggested we not do that.  He told there was a new Air Force family new to his area that was in dire need of help.  They have 4 kids ages 2-8 (just about the same age as ours were in 1990).  They were $15K in debt and had to pay back the military $5K for overpayment!  They had no money for Christmas and the wife just got a night job to help with bills.  Ryan asked us all if we could just donate to this family for Christmas just as the BYU players had for us in 1990.  All our kids were excited to do it.  Each family was asked to contribute $50 and we pitched in a little more.  He also contacted the Baltimore Ravens (he lives outside Baltimore MD) and asked them to help as well and they came through with a care package, too!

Scott's mom left us a card that stated, "Your Christmas gift is a treadle sewing machine for the ladies in Uganda.  Merry Christmas, Love Mom".  As a lover of sewing that made me very happy and I know how important that small gift means to those ladies in that area and how it will bring them a step closer to providing for their families there.

Just before we left to head back to Logan to box up the house, the Salvation Army decorated our Fireside Room here at Desert Trails with gift tags to pick from the tree to help needy children in the community.  There must have been 50 tags on the tree.  We couldn't take any tags then because they would be picking up the presents before we returned back from Utah.  But, this past Saturday as we went to pick up our mail, we saw that there were still 14 tickets on the tree.  It broke my heart to know not all were taken, so we pulled off a bunch of tickets and jumped in the truck and headed to Target.  We had so much fun buying gifts for the Hispanic kids of El Centro and the Imperial Valley.  We picked out a cute purple bike for an 11 year old girl, a skateboard for another girl, make-up and bag for another girl, 3 Nerf guns for 3 more boys and a basketball for another and a few more things for some younger children.

A few of the tickets we took off the tree - and we left it anonymous.  😉

When we got back, the office was closed so we had to wait until yesterday morning to put everything in bags with tags under the tree. We got there right at 10 a.m. and put all our gifts under the tree. There were still 5 tickets left, but hopefully someone would take them. Today, when we check in for the mail, the gifts were all gone and we're so excited to know that some children will be very happy on Christmas day and parents relieved as well. 💗

We don't share this at all to boast, but you to FILL YOU with joy and the spirit of wanting to give to someone in need during the most giving time of the year.  Giving at Christmas is the greatest feeling you can have.  For every person who reads this post, I want to CHALLENGE YOU to "Pay it Forward" and do something for just one person in need before Christmas this week.  Here are some ideas if you don't know what you can do: call your ecclesiastical leader for help, go to a homeless shelter and drop off toiletries, help at a soup kitchen or buy presents for an orphanage, shut-ins, women and children's center or for new refugees in your neighborhood.  Whatever moves you - just do it.  You'll feel the Christmas spirit alive in you!  Then, report back here that it's done or share your experiences.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!