Because I Have Been Given Much I, Too, Must Give!

About 8:45 last night I decided I wanted to get a new "feelz good" movie to watch this evening. And you know, Saturday is that special day, its the day we get ready for SUNDAY! Deseret Books is about 1/2 mile where I now reside. Typically I would walk since it's so close but it was about to close do I drove. I parked the car and instead of grabbing my purse I just grabbed my bank card and headed for the store.

I rush into the place and I'm looking at the different movies... they some I already have, some I'll never touch, some that are stale and cheesy but make for good teaching moments, Biographies of the prophets and apostles and such. Anyway after browsing around for 15 minutes the voice over head on the speaker announced "DESERET BOOKS IS NOW CLOSED, PLEASE TAKE YOUR PURCHASES TO THE FRONT!"
I grabbed my DVD's and headed toward the cashier. There was a couple in front of me who needed this changed on their account and wanted to pay 1/2 with this payment and 1/2 with another payment, then they wanted to add their bonus reward points, and please bubble wrap this item so it doesn't break and OH she had to run back and get this thing she forgot and I'm sure you get the point.
(This is also one of those establishments where if you purchase so much you also stack that many points and 1 point is equal to the 1$ so if you purchase a 10$ item you get $10 in credit points to spend like cash. THey give double points sometimes and bonus points and so on.)
Being a professional Customer Service Agent, I stood patiently and kind of chuckled inside. I think my profession has made me more tolerant and patient than the average person about these things. I work with this kind of person ALL DAY EVERY DAY. Good thing because when it was my turn at the cash register, I had to go through some of the same things.
My Purchase came to about 44$ She asked if I were in the "rewards program" I told her I was. I gave her my ph# and she couldn't find me in the system. I gave her a new my cell # and it wasnt on that either. I gave her and old # and it was there. I asked her if she could change the ph# to my cell phone because I had requested it be connected with the cell # on a previous visit. She mentioned it takes a couple weeks for the change. I mentioned the change was requested over a year ago. She took down the info.
"Would you like to use your reward points?" She asked.
"How many do I have?" I asked.
"You have $41 in reward points. You can use them on this purchase or continue to build them up."
Since Im in a situation where I need to be saving $$ these next few months I told her I would like to use them. She recalculated my order and
"your purchase comes to $3.99"
"wow you all are breaking me!"
I smiled and reached in my pocket for my bank card.

I pulled it out and went to swipe it, only to recognize it was my aaa insurance card.
"AUGH! I am SO sorry, I'll need to run out to the parking lot and get my other card."

The guy waiting behind me said, "or you can just let me go first and use my rewards points toward your purchase."
I thanked him and allowed him to go first while I ran out to my car to get my bank card. When I returned they were still ringing up the Gentleman's purchase. He and his friends were in SLC visiting from the UK. As they rang up his purchase He and his friend began talking about what a wonderful time they had in SLC.
The Cashier gave the gentleman his total, and after paying for it, he said... "I'd like to give her (pointing to me) the balance of my reward points!" I smiled and thanked him. The guy behind me said... "now do you all know each other or did you just meet?"
I looked at him and said... "oh we've known each other for YEARS!" The gentleman
who gifted me the points winked at the guy behind us and said.. "But don't tell my wife!" and his friend commented "what happens in SLC stays in Salt Lake City." The 3 of us laughed and the guy behind us looked confused which made us laugh even more. I then explained to the guy behind us... " He's my brother. We're ALL brothers and sisters right?" He smiled nervously... but I think he was beginning to catch on.
I thanked the other Gentleman again as he and his friend walked out of the store and turned my attention back to the Cashier.

The cashier looks at me and said....
" Ok so you now have $59 in reward points and that means you own nothing. So here's your receipt and have a good night!" I looked at her a little shocked. Not only was my purchase "free" because I had been saving my credit, I had accumulated an extra $14 for my next purchase or to save until I wanted to spend them.
"AWESOME!"
I picked up my purchase, Smiled at the man behind me,looked back at the cashier and said... " I'd like to give the balance of my credit points... to my brother right here!" Patted the shoulder of the guy behind me, winked, and headed out of the store.
I turned around looked and the guy behind me who now had a look of confusion on his face yelled 'Have a great night!" and headed home.

I'm not sure about your all, but for whatever reason, I am gifted many things. I'm very blessed. Things like this happen to me on a regular basis. When I mean regular it's almost as if I expect the blessings. What I love MOST about receiving a blessing, is the look on the faces of those I am fortunate enough to pass blessings to. That show 20 minute exchange in the Store made my whole day. And it was already a great day anyway.
I love these examples of how simple acts of kindness and enrich the lives of others. This testifies to me that where much is given, much is required, and to share blessings with others brings more to yourself.
I believe the Lord continues to give to those who will share and give to others.

Think about that next time you are blessed. I must confess when the movie "Pay It Forward" came out and people were raving about it, I was one who was saying... "whats the big deal, my family does that kind of thing on a regular basis." Then it occurred to me that the majority of that the world doesn't think or act that way.
Love is Reciprocal. Love between ourselves and God, Love between ourselves and a family & friends, love of all mankind.
It's that love of all mankind we forget about. And if we look at what mankind has evolved to, we see the lack of love for one another.

What would you have done in my situation last night? Would you have kept the reward for yourself or shared it?

After all, we're ALL brothers and sisters, right?