Little Blessings & Generosity

Two short stories . . .

Last week, in the midst of softball season getting started (which means that, all of a sudden, I live in a household that changes clothes an ungodly amount of times a day--and a lot of them are very dirty clothes!), my dryer decided to start acting all crazy on me. Instead of taking one run-through to dry, it was taking two or three times. I figured the heating element was out and that it would have to be repaired. But, of course, finding the time to have Gary check it out (or get someone to come over and do it) was nearly impossible and finding the extra money to do it was not something I was looking forward to. And just the hassle of having to wait so long for clothes to dry was really getting on my nerves; I was ready, in fact, to take a huge load to the laundromat this past weekend (even though there is NO time for that; if you have to use a laundromat, I truly admire your patience!).

But then, lo and behold, when I dried a load this past weekend it got hot quick and stayed hot and it took one cycle to completely dry. I was SO happy!!

So, I'm enjoying the LITTLE BLESSINGS of having a working dryer this week and it's amazing what a small thing like that can do to your sanity! LOL (Isn't it amazing how we don't realize the importance of such little things until they go wrong; and isn't it great that we can sometimes have the opportunity to put things like that in perspective and be grateful for what we do have?)

And now a second story . . .

You all know from my previous post that we had a big travel softball tournament this past weekend (and Delaney's team won it all; Woo Hoo all over again! LOL) Well, Gary also worked the tournament as a photographer (he has a side business called Time for Pictures that primarily does sports photography; he goes to sports events such as softball tournaments, takes pictures, downloads them right there, lets people view them, and they can order prints for later delivery). McKenna often works as his "table help" and gets paid pretty well for working.

We had already set aside this tournament as a Fundraising event for McKenna's upcoming Europe trip with Student Leadership University (the thing we've been raising money for through our scrapbook days, etc.); she would give up her pay for the day and also Gary would donate ALL the profits for the day to the trip.

Gary usually hires at least another one and usually two photographers for these tournaments and, of course, that cuts into the profits too. Well, his photographer this past weekend would have taken home around $100 for his work but at the end of the day he told Gary and McKenna that he didn't want to be paid. He was volunteering his time for McKenna! We were all three blown away by John's generosity! He had worked really hard on a hot day for many hours and would have taken home a good amount of money. But instead, he unselfishly gave of his time for McKenna. It really impressed McKenna too and meant a lot to her.

So, I got a wonderful lesson on generosity from John!

My questions to you on this Random Tuesday, then, revolves around both of those stories. (You know I couldn't let a Tuesday go by without some Audience Participation; ha!)

I would love for all of us to share with one another (either in my comments section, or let us know that you are posting on your own blog) . . .

(1) The Simple Blessings you are appreciating this day

(Mine are: a Working Dryer, a Healthy Husband, an almost 15-year-old who gives me sweet hugs in public, College Basketball excitement, 82 degree weather, and Sweet Tea)

and

(2) An Act of Generosity you have either received or given away lately

Share your answers with us (if you're so inclined; if not, at least pop on and say "Hey")!!

And have a WONDERFUL Tuesday!!!