Chapter 10 - A Small Act of Kindness

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good

unto all men, especially unto them who are of the
household of faith.”

—Galatians 6:10

 Linda and I were staying at a mission apartment

in Anderson, South Carolina, and our children
were not with us on this particular day. It was
Lunchtime; we decided to try a small Chinese restaurant
that we had noticed a few days earlier. The
restaurant was very clean, the kind of restaurant one
does not mind frequenting. We ordered our food
and drinks; I blessed the food before eating. As we
were enjoying our meal, another couple entered the
restaurant and sat at a table across from us.
    We were the only two couples in the restaurant,
probably because it was only eleven o’clock. It was
rather early for most people to eat lunch, but My
wife and I always liked to eat before the rush began.
We noticed the other couple ordering their food, and
soon the waitress brought them their drinks. After
a short period of time, their food arrived and he
prayed before beginning to eat.
    As we continued eating, the Lord impressed
upon my heart to pay for the other couple’s meal.
The impression did not go away, Therefore, I discussed
it with Linda. We both agreed that it was the
Lord’s will for us to pay for their meal.
    We finished our meal and headed to the cashier
to pay. I told the cashier we also wanted to pay for
the other couple’s meal and puzzled, she asked,
“Why do you want to do that? Do you know them?”
    “No, we do not know them, but the Lord has
impressed me to do this. If they ask who paid for
their meal, could you just give them our prayer card?
Just give it to them and ask them if they would pray
for us.”
    The cashier tallied both bills, and the amount
due was no more than twenty-five dollars. This was
the first time we had ever experienced anything like
this, paying for a stranger’s meal, but we enjoyed
being obedient to the Lord’s prompting. In fact, it
was so much fun that we did it many more times
whenever the Spirit of the Lord led us to do so. But
that day in the small Chinese restaurant was our first
time, and we never thought much about it until we
received the following letter a few years later:
    “You do not know me from Adam’s house cat,
but I have a story I want to share with you and your
family. Approximately six years ago, I was having
lunch in the Jade Garden Chinese restaurant in
Anderson, South Carolina.
    When I finished my meal and went to pay, I was
informed that you had paid for my meal and left a
card stating you were a missionary in Ivory Coast.
I didn’t know what caused you to do that, but I
thought perhaps it was because I prayed over my
meal or because I had on my Gideons’ pin.
    I tried to contact you to thank you by calling
your mission board in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to
find out your whereabouts. They told me you were
staying at a missionary residence in Anderson. I had
never heard of a missionary residence, but I called
the church that ran the place and they informed me
that you had left and were heading to another missionary
house. When I called that one, you were
already gone, and they did not know where you
were going next.
    Well, in cleaning out my desk a week or so ago,
I ran across the card that you left at the restaurant. I
wrote to the church in Hattiesburg, and Pastor Jerry
George sent me your most recent newsletter, which
said that you were going to Belize. I then called the
Central Missionary Clearinghouse and they gave
me your address.
    Well, anyway, let me get back to my story. Off
and on over the years, it always bugged me that I
could not make contact with you. However, in the
process of trying to locate you, I did discover what
missionary houses were all about. Then, approximately
five years ago, I was elected chairman of
the body of deacons at a local church in Hartwell,
Georgia. We had acquired a parcel of land next door
to the church property that had a fine old four-bedroom
house on it.
    Unfortunately, our church then suffered a terrible
church split, and the pastor left with half of
the church congregation. After that, there was much
debate and discussion about what to do with that
fine old house: should we rent it out, should we sell
it, or should We simply boarded it up and forget
about it?
    As I thought about our dilemma, I wanted to be
able to do something with the property that would
serve the Lord as well as help the church come into
harmony. I began praying and talking to others in
the church about the possibility of establishing a
missionary residence. The talk continued, and support
began growing. Finally, we voted to make the
old house a missionary residence.
    Well, since that time, this house has become a
great blessing to our church. Right from the start, it
has been booked full, and we have a waiting list. It
has also made our church become much more aware
of missions. In fact, last June 12 members of our
church, including me, participated in a dental missions
trip to Honduras.
    We have had missionaries from Albania,
Guatemala, Bangladesh, Jordan, and various parts
of the Caribbean stay in the house. Currently, we
have a medical missionary from Ghana and his
family staying there. This residence has been a tremendous
blessing to our church, and giving to missions
has increased tremendously. We are planning
another trip to Honduras this coming year.
    I therefore wanted to write to you and let you
know what picking up the tab for my meal resulted
in and how the Holy Spirit can work in some mighty
ways. Please accept this letter as evidence of what a
small act of kindness can sometimes do.”

Just a closer walk with Thee!

(Copyright by Jay B Ayers)