An Unusual Birthday Surprise

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"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
- Hebrews 13:2 -

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NOTE: This is a real life example of how not to manage a business.

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"Oh no!"

My wife's piercing cry carries from the kitchen into the livingroom where I'm watching "The Orville" with my son. I'm on my feet in an instant, heading toward her voice.

"What's wrong?"

"It's gone. I know I had plenty."

"What's gone?"

"Someone used all the powdered sugar. I can't do this."

Tomorrow is our granddaughter's Sweet Sixteen birthday, and my wife is melting down from the stress of being halfway through baking a special birthday cake, only to discover a key ingredient is missing.

Happy Birthday ~ Image courtesy of Christopher Martyn

"Calm down, I'll go get some."

I throw on a jacket, and as I'm rushing toward the door, our son says "Vons is open until midnight." I look at my phone: It's 11:44 PM, I should make it just fine.

Usually a fast and somewhat aggressive driver, tonight I'm moving at ludicrous speed, banking around corners and shooting the rapids. Up hill and down dale, I arrive at Vons with maybe seven minutes to spare.

As I step out of the car and trigger the lock, my heart sinks. Patting my pockets confirms the worst; I've left my wallet at home.

Dammit! I'm out of time. I head into the store, furiously devising a backup plan. Walking past several aisles, scanning the signs hanging above, here's a fellow stocking shelves.

"Where's the sugar?" ~ Image courtesy of D A V I D S O N L U N A

"Where's the sugar?"

"Next aisle."

This late at night, there are stacks of boxes everywhere. I thread my way like a slalom skier, desperately scanning the shelves for what I need, but hitting the other end of the row nonetheless. Heading back the other way, I spot boxes of "Sugar" on the left.

Why can't I see it? I see Baker's Sugar, Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar, box after box. The wife mentioned that it's also called Confectioners Sugar, but where's the box?

Oh, wait. The powdered sugar is in bags.

The store brand is on sale, and I grab a bag and head to the front of the store. My plan is now fully formed, but I come to a full stop behind a young woman and a stack of boxes blocking the aisle.

"Excuse me."

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"No worries, they've got these aisles all jammed up with boxes. Have a good evening."

The Inflexible Manager ~ Image courtesy of mohamed Hassan

My path now clear,

I make my way to the service desk.

"Is there a manager here?"

"You're talking to him."

I launch into my plea.

"I'm in the middle of an unusual baking emergency. You see, my wife's trying to bake a cake and really needs this sugar, but I rushed out of the house without my wallet. Would it be possible for me to sign for this and pay later?"

"No."

I'm stunned. Did he really say no?

"We've shopped in this Vons since it opened in the 1980s. Isn't there some way you might possibly accommodate a loyal customer?"

"We're on camera. I can't have a recording of you walking out that door with unpaid merchandise."

Seriously? Two Dollars? ~ Image courtesy of Thomas Breher

Seriously? Two dollars?

My brain kicks into high gear. I look at the manager and the cashier beside him, and attempt an appeal.

"Could one of you possibly give me a personal loan of two dollars? I promise I will repay you."

In the thrall of her manager, the cashier says nothing. Her boss just doubles down on his negativity. Time for plan B.

Turning my back on the recalcitrant manager, I head towards the nearest shopper. It's the young woman I passed a few minutes earlier.

My Angel Unaware ~ Image courtesy of Vikramjit Kakati

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry to bother you. I realize you don't know me, but I wonder if you could loan me two dollars?"

Summarizing my desperate plight, I am palpably relieved when this angel pulls two one-dollar bills out of her wallet. Talk about the kindness of strangers!

"I promise I will mail it back to you."

"Oh, there's no need."

"Yes, I really need to." I jot her address into a text message on my phone, and after offering her my profuse thanks, I return to the checkout, pay for the sugar, and race home. Disaster averted, the birthday cake has been saved.

Sweet Sixteen ~ Image courtesy of Tyler Delgado

After sharing my incredible story with the family,

I pen a short letter:

Dear Michelle,

I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your kindness to me tonight. Tomorrow is our granddaughter's sixteenth birthday, and my wife was in dire straits without the sugar she needed to bake a birthday cake.

Thank you so very much for lending me the two dollars I needed to complete my desperate mission. You were truly an angel of mercy in my time of need.

My prayer for you is that, should you ever find yourself in a tight spot, God will send you an angel to help you. You've saved me from a tough situation when those who should have helped only stood by and watched. I am truly grateful. May Jesus/God bless you to the max!

Kindest regards,

-creator

I pen a short letter... ~ Image courtesy of Tyler Delgado

I address and stamp the envelope.

Carefully folding my letter around two crisp dollar bills, I insert it into the envelope, seal it, and put it by the door, ready to go.

Have you ever been blessed by an unknown messenger of kindness? I would love to hear about it.

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~FIN~

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