When a stranger helped this man while he was down on his luck, he stuck to his promise and returned the favor.
Shelby Lynn Henry Alexander recently shared a heartwarming story of what happened a little after she helped a man in need. LoveWhatMatters picked up the story, and since then, it has easily gone viral.
Shelby started by setting up the story:
“In January of this year, I was waiting in my truck at a stoplight and noticed a man holding a cardboard sign. Written in Sharpie were the words, ‘Need a little help. Will pay it forward.’”
Instead of driving by the man with the sign like many people would, Shelby decided to stop.
“I pulled over by him, explained that I usually only gave food instead of money, and gave him three bills folded around my real estate business card in case he needed help finding another place to live.”
Shelby explained that because the sign had said “Need a little help,” she “wasn’t sure if he was homeless or if he was just going through a difficult time in his life.”
She figured that by including her business card, the man would be able to come to her for more help in the future if it became necessary.
“I never caught his name, but I remembered his face. I remembered everything; the dingy clothes he had been wearing in the thirty degree weather, his dog he had wrapped in blankets instead of himself, and the shamefulness in his eyes as I offered him the money. I said a prayer for him and drove away.”
Shelby expected to never see the man again but still wished the best for him.
Several months later, she got the surprise of her life. Shelby explained that she:
“received a call from a man who wanted to see one of our houses and had asked for me by name. We had arranged an appointment, and I drove to the address when I left the office.”
When she got there, she was in for a huge shock.
Shelby wrote that the moment she pulled into the driveway of the property, her “eyes were first drawn to a plump pump dog” with his head out the window of a truck and an incredibly happy expression. She recognized this dog from the time several months ago.
“Then, out of the truck, stepped the man I had given money to so many months ago. This time, though, he was wearing a collared shirt, freshly-starched jeans, boots, and had a clean-shaven face.”
Shelby admitted that she had doubts for a second, wondering if he had scammed her. But then she saw how happy the man was to see her.
“With an outstretched hand, his eyes filled up with gentle tears as he handed me three fresh bills wrapped in my crinkled business card.”
Just like anyone would have been in this situation, Shelby was confused, so the man told her what happened.
“His ex-wife had taken everything he owned, besides his dog, and had run off with another man.”
He only needed a little bit of help to get back on his feet.
Now, several months later, he was doing incredibly well.
“He’s an engineer with a great new job, happy dog, new truck, and new life.”
The man was checking out the house for a friend and wanted to pay Shelby back for her generosity. He also wanted to “pay her business forward” just like the sign promised.
This heartwarming story just goes to show that you never know what someone is going through and shouldn’t judge them from the outside.
It is always worth it to help whenever you can as you never know how little assistance is needed or how much of an impact it can have.
The top comments on the story are also very heartwarming, such as the one from Linda Winstead, who says that you should give whether you know the outcome.
Or Sharon Flandi, who explained that she gives when she can and doesn’t worry about scammed, instead focusing on the good.
The comments section of this post is almost as inspiring as the story itself.
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