BLOG: Just Because

So in addition to adding all of your beautiful pictures, I'll be blogging. Feel free to pass on the link!

Wow. What a Friday this has been.

It started this morning before the sun came up. I was still in bed when I placed my hand on hubby's head and prayed. I thanked God for the day and told him it was His--something I need to start doing everyday.

On my way to work, I noticed that my gas tank was on big fat E. I dropped the kids off at school and thanked God that I had just been paid. (Our account was overdrawn because of something I did, and I was already feeling bad about it, but now we were back in the green.)

I was about a mile from the job when I rolled into the gas station on fumes when I realized that I left my bag at home. You know, the one with my cell phone and wallet it in. "No, no, no!" I said. "No ..."

The only option was sitting in my car covered with icky ink. A blue pen had exploded in the ash tray (do people still call it that?) earlier in the week and my coins were covered in blue, gooey ink.

So, there I was, holding a hand full of sticky, blue change. I walked it in (with head--and hand--held high) to the gas station and said "50 on pump four, please."

And then I held my hands out and profusely apologized. "I mean 50 cents and it has ink all over it, but I'm going to run out of gas if I don't ..." She didn't say a word; just held her hand out.

Back out by the mom van, I was about to lift up the pump handle and pump for about two seconds when a man called out to me: "I just added five to your 50."

"What?? Really? Oh, thank you SO much!" I said.

At that moment, I swear I was almost moved to tears. Because at that moment, I knew that God was taking care of me. I just knew it was His way. After pumping the gas, I walked over to the other side of the station where the man was getting ready to drive away.

"Thank you so much," I said. "Can I have your name?"

"I'm Steve," he said.

"Well, how can I repay you?" I was hoping he worked somewhere close enough so that I could return the money.

"No worries," he said. "It's my good deed for the day. I'm just here on business. I'm from Ocala."

I thanked Steve from Ocala again and when I got in my van, I thought, "Yep, you are here on business."

When I got to work, I scrubbed my hands. By lunch time, there were still remnants of the ink-covered coins in my hands. I opened my palm and showed my co-worker over lunch.

Just before lunch, I got an extra-special surprise when I headed downstairs and saw a vase of beautiful roses sitting on the receptionist's desk. They were for me. Hubby sent them with a card that read "Because I love you."

That's just how I felt when Steve from Ocala stepped in and gave me those $5. I felt like God was saying "You know. Just because I love you."

So that's my message to you today: Do something for someone just because you love them. And be sure to tell them "it's just because." There is something so special about that.