Pass It On: the rest of the story

One of our local news stations has a special segment that regularly airs called Pass It On. Each segment highlights a person who is given $300 to pass along to someone who has a need or has made and impact in the giver’s life. It is always interesting to watch the touching stories of relationship and generosity. Never, ever did we think that we would be a part of one those stories…..much less on the receiving end.

A random afternoon shortly after Jacob had returned to work from paternity leave, he got a call from the RN, Chad, that works with him in the neurosurgery operating room. Chad asked if we were home and said he had something for us. We got excited. Chad’s wife makes really delicious red velvet cupcakes and we were preparing ourselves for some. Chad did not come bearing cupcakes.

Instead, I hear Jacob say “Chad has a t.v. crew with him.” WHAT?

We gladly and gratefully accepted the $300. We jokingly mentioned that it would buy a lot of diapers.

That’s what aired. But there is much more to this tale of pass it on.

As soon as we closed the door and our visitors had cleared the porch, Jacob and I looked at each other in shock and laughed. We said “Chad is awesome” about thirty times.  Then, we sat down at the dining room table and almost simultaneously suggested we give it away. Or at least most of it.

It wasn’t that we were ungrateful. We just know how blessed we are and that there could be someone who needed it more. We talked about donating some of the money to victims of a recent apartment fire. We talked about how much to give to Chad as a thank you. In that discussion some things came up and we made our decision.

The next day, Jacob took the money and gave it to Chad. All of it. As per the news stations rules, the money could not be given to a family member; but there was someone in Chad’s life, an extended family member, who needed it much more than we did. She had suddenly found herself with three additional children to care for and raise after their mother died back around Thanksgiving. She definitely needed it more than we did for our one child’s diapers.

I wish I could have been there when Jacob gave him the money.

Later that week, Chad told Jacob the rest of the story. He had tried all week to get in touch with his relative to give her the money. He had had no luck until Friday when she called to say she was in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by his house. Once there, she revealed that she stopped by to humbly ask for money. Since taking in the three additional children finances had gotten tight and she was unable to pay her $250 light bill that was due the next day. Chad revealed that he had been trying to reach her to give her the $300.

I wish I could have been there for that too.

I tell this story not to toot our horn or call attention to us by any means. I want to remember this story to tell our daughter – to tell her that she was a part of something much bigger than her when she was just a couple of weeks old. This story serves reminder of our place in life and the impact that small choices can make.

Chad didn’t have to choose us. We didn’t have to choose Chad.

God chose us. And I hope He continues to choose us to work in each other’s lives.