8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed... 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness ; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
A giving phenomenon has brought a new glow to the home of the blue light special, as some special people who are wanting to shine a light on a family's Christmas season are walking into K-Mart stores across America and paying down or paying off their lay-away.
It looks like the first sighting of the "lay-away angels", or secret Santas, was in Michigan a couple of weeks ago. According to TIME, citing a television report:
...a woman in her 30s walked up to the layaway counter at a Kmart and asked if she could pay off someone’s layaway balance. The clerk was confused, but allowed the woman to browse through layaway accounts. The woman ultimately selected three—she was looking, specifically, for ones in which toys had been purchased—and then paid off around $500 total for the three accounts, leaving a balance of just $10 on each. Then she disappeared, leaving just a note on the layaway receipts that read “Happy Holidays from a friend.”
One beneficiary of the act of anonymous kindness—a mom who’d put $200 worth of toys on layaway for her son David—said that the Secret Santa “restored her faith in people.”
Now, there were more lay-aways at the same K-Mart store in Michigan, and the phenomenon has spread to other stores in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC, and all the way to California. And, while most of the instances have taken place at K-Mart stores, Wal-Marts are receiving visits, too.
People are obviously embracing the idea, and what a great story - I do think that since humans are created in the image of God, it's our nature to be givers, activated by the nature of Christ in those who believe in Him. And, the fact that people are giving without recognition is also a cool thing!
I would add one punctuation mark to this charitable effort - to somehow communicate the message that we are giving because of the One who gave His Son at Christmas, so that we might live and have a right relationship with Almighty God - I'm all about anonymous, but just as the angels were clear about the source of their message, perhaps Christians who become "lay-away" angels can be clear about the source of the love that drives their act. But, what a great thing that giving is making the news!!
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