A dear friend who works in retail related a story to me this week.
She told about a mother with three kids who tried to pay for her groceries with her Lone Star Card. She had swiped it three times, but after the third time, the machine locks up. Left with no way to pay for her food, she tried to explain in Spanish that she needed her groceries.
At that point, a man behind her in line spoke up and offered to pay for her purchases. The total was less than $200, and the children interpreted to her what the gentleman had expressed. She exclaimed over and over that she could not allow him to do that.
At this point, my friend piped up and told the kids to explain to their mother, “You must accept his blessing, because if you don’t, he won’t receive the blessing that is coming to him.”
I can imagine that everyone just stood there a moment with their mouths agape. After a few beats, the lady accepted the gentleman’s kind offer, and she and her children thanked him profusely and left the store. As he moved up in line, he expressed to my friend that he’d never heard it put quite that way before, and where did she get that? She replied that she’d heard it in a sermon not too many weeks before.
It brought to my mind a gift I received last Christmas. It was a very big gift (not in size, but in extravagance). When I opened it, I was speechless. When I finally found my voice, I told my friend I couldn’t possibly accept such a gift.
And what she said to me then is something I had not heard before, but will remember always.
“Do not rob me of my blessing. You must accept it.”
I don’t think it’s the size or the cost of a gift that matters. I think what’s important is that in your heart, you are giving to bless the other person. My friend said that God just laid it on her heart to give me this particular thing, because she felt it was a “need,” not a “want.”
Give just to see a smile on the person’s face. Or a sense of relief wash over them if you’ve met a need.
Don’t give to see what you’ll get in return.
But I truly believe that if you give with the right heart, you will be blessed, as well.
The ultimate gift we received is the reason we celebrate Christmas.
Jesus is the reason for the season!
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Deanna Kirk is a Daily Sun staff writer and editor of Explore Magazine. Her column appears on Saturdays. She may be reached by email at dkirk@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “Soundoff” on this column? Email: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com
Opinion
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Deanna Kirk is a Daily Sun columnist.
Discussion
Reason for the Season
- Opinion
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Dumb people in the news
In the news this week was an on-line press release from the Department of Environmental Protection for the state of Pennsylvania that they’ve lost a nuclear device off the back of a truck somewhere between Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Troxler Model 3430 is a radioactive gauge that takes measurements in the ground. The press release from the DEP states that anyone finding the box should not “tamper” with it.
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Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
This amounts to spying on an American news organization — common practice in dictatorships but scary conduct in a democratic system that prizes the public value of an independent watchdog press. -
Flying the “Delta Connector”
I had an unfortunate fall earlier this week and wrecked my back to the point where I cannot spend much time sitting up at my desk to write. Therefore, I am recycling a piece I wrote many years ago about our first trip from Corsicana back to Denver.
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It's my job
A couple of weeks ago, some chowderheads released a study saying that the worst job in America is that of newspaper reporters because of the low pay, long, odd hours and stress.
Number two on the list was lumberjack, which makes sense because trees kill.
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Message from the Mayor: Safety first
The tragic incident that recently occurred in West serves as a stark reminder that disasters can occur at any time or place.
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Angels among us
The winds have dispersed the mushroom cloud that hovered over the small town of West. The dust has settled. The President of the United States, the Governor of Texas and other dignitaries have come to join in the memorial for those who lost their lives.
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Missing the fun
Sad to say, in the 11 years The Little Woman (don’t call me that!) and I lived in Navarro County, we never attended the annual Derrick Days festivities. We followed all the events in the Daily Sun, but we never schlepped into town to “walk amongst em.” I guess, if I were to be honest with myself, I am the reason we never went.
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Need a job? Leave the cat at home
The USA Today has printed an article this past week of advice to newly minted college graduates on how to get a job which basically boiled down to “don’t be stupid.”
This is excellent advice for any situation, but particularly that crucial job interview. -
Plenty to do
I don’t wanna hear anyone griping about “there’s not anything to do around here.”
In fact, there’s SO much to do around here, I’m not sure how anyone can get to it all! -
Letters to the Editor 5/4/13
To the Editor: Education, in my opinion, is the key to solving the problems we face in today’s world. We owe it to every child in Corsicana to provide him/her with the tools to reach their fullest potential.
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