This morning, I woke up with a simple mission in my heart: do something kind for a stranger.
I didn’t have a plan for who, where, or how — I just knew I wanted to brighten someone’s day. My idea was to fill up someone’s gas tank. So I drove to the first gas station near my favorite coffee shop and parked by a pump. I waited… and waited… but for some reason, no one pulled up.
I thought, Well, maybe it’s not meant to happen here. So I grabbed my coffee and headed toward the gas station near my house.
This one had twelve pumps, each one buzzing with people already filling their tanks. I pulled into the first pump, but everyone nearby was already mid-fill. I decided to be patient, moving my car over to a different pump and telling myself, I’ll wait here just a minute… let’s see what happens.
And then she appeared.
A woman pulled up slowly and parked her car right behind mine. I glanced back, and she met my eyes with a warm smile. I smiled back. Something about that exchange — that instant, quiet connection — told me she might be the one.
I got out of my car, walked toward her, and said gently, “Hi, Ma’am.”
She looked startled at first, unsure why a stranger was approaching her car. But then she smiled again, a little nervously.
“I know this sounds weird,” I said, “but… can I buy your gas?”
Her eyes widened. “What? Why???”
“I just want to be kind,” I explained. “I’m dedicating this month to kindness.”
She hesitated. “Are you sure???”
“Yes!” I said without missing a beat. “I really want to!”
That’s when everything shifted. She brought both hands together in prayer, looked up to the sky, and whispered, “Thank you, God. Thank you, God.”
And then… she began to cry. Right there, in the middle of the gas station.
She stepped toward me, hugged me tightly, then pulled back to wipe her eyes, only to hug me again. The tears kept flowing — hers and mine.
Between sobs, she told me, “I just called the bank this morning. I only have ten dollars in my account. I’ve been helping my mother out because she’s sick, and it’s been so hard for me financially.”
We stood there, holding each other, laughing through the tears. The gas pump beeped in the background, but we barely noticed.
For her, my gesture meant a full tank of gas when she could only afford a few gallons. For me, it was a reminder that sometimes the simplest acts can mean everything to someone who needs it.
As we parted, I realized something powerful — I had set out to be her miracle, but she became mine, too. She opened my heart in a way I didn’t expect, giving more meaning to my life than I could have found on my own.
Kindness works both ways. You give it, and somehow, it fills you back up.
