In January 2016, I met Don and he gave me a gift, that touched me so much, I wrote about it in my book, The Giving Challenge.
In short, I was in Washington, DC on business, hired Don to drive me to the airport, and on the way, I realized I had no cash, only a credit card to pay him. At the time, he only took cash. I said a little prayer, and when we got to the airport, without knowing I didn't have a way to pay, he told me the ride was on him, a gift he wanted to give me.
In awe that God had answered my prayer, I snapped a picture, as I never wanted to forget Don and the moment, a gift connected me to a stranger.
After publishing The Giving Challenge, I've been on a mission to meet Don again, tell him the story and give him a copy of my book, where I share our story. I'd tried to hire him in the past, but he was booked.
Finally, this past week, success! Oh friends, when we arrived at the hotel to drop me off, I shared with Don about our former meeting, his gift, and showed him his story in my book. His reaction would have been a viral video moment, but with no video recording, I soaked in the moment, as Don removed his glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes.
We hopped out of his vehicle, hugged, snapped another picture, and scheduled a time for him to pick me up the next day to get me to the airport.
I'm confident it wasn't a coincidence that I met Don or that he gave me a gift. I know God spoke to him that day, Don listened, and for reasons, yet unknown, our paths were meant to cross.
Over and over on my giving journey, I'd feel God nudge me to help someone, and 100% of the time, even many times uncomfortable, the stranger I asked if they needed help did. I'm not perfect, and I miss opportunities to give, but I've learned that many times, we can be an angel on earth, helping those in need, and sometimes it's a gift from a stranger, in the form of a free ride.
Blessings,
Stephanie
Inspirational Speaker and Award-Winning Author of "The Giving Challenge: 40 Days to a More Generous Life"