Good Samaritan/s

One of my girls and her husband have four sons. The oldest son is away at University and the other three boys are in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades in high school.

They are a fine family, but as most of us do, they struggle financially. They live in a small town where sports can be a ticket to being able to go to University or not. All of their boys are fine athletes and play every sport there is to play. However, where they live it's quite costly.

My daughter and her sweetheart are good parents and try to give their sons every opportunity to participate in every athletic event that takes place. Sometimes this is done at great cost.

I want to share a letter my girl posted on her blog.As I read the letter I immediately thought of the Good Samaritan, or perhaps in this case there was more than one, and it touched my heart.

We hear so much of evil in the world today that we might not realize there are acts, just like this one, going on unnoticed, except to those who are the receipient of it, all over the world. I'm so grateful to this person or persons and their tremendous act of kindness and love.
Looks like the pure love of Christ to me, doesn't it to you?

I have changed names and put in __'s to protect identity. I hope you will feel inspired to do something kind for someone else after reading this story.

Kindness isn't always counted in $'s but in many many ways. Find one this holiday season and apply the principle of the pure love of Christ and see how wonderful it feels to serve our brothers and sisters and our Lord and Redeemer even Jesus Christ. This principle is not one limited to the Christmas season only. We are our brother's keepers....

The story begins:
This is the letter dated December 3, 2008 that was put inside our door.

"Dear Jones,
A few years ago I found myself and my family in some circumstances that were more difficult than I seemed to the the power to overcome. Someone stepped in to help and whether they knew it or not, were an answer to the prayers we needed answers to.

I haven't had a revelation and I'm not specifically aware of your circumstances but when I awoke this morning, I felt a need---a strong need---to do something for your boys. I hope that you'll allow me to pass on to your family a small token of the blessings that have come the way of my family and myself from parties who cared enough to reach out and touch our lives.

Today I anonymously sent some cash to the Attention of ___ and/or ___ at ___ in ___ and asked them to open an account with it in the name of the Jones Family.

In that account is a balance large enough to accommodate the purchase of a pair of any of the basketball shoes they have in stock or can order for each of your 3 sons to use in their season with the ___ this year.

There isn't a limit on the price of the shoes they may want to buy---I've ensured there is more than sufficient funds to cover whatever they need, and have asked ___ to give what remains in the account to charity after the boys have made their purchases.

My family remains moved today by the blessings of what we were given when we were in need. Though it was difficult to understand at the time, we now comprehend with certainty that the people caring for us were angels who understood our Heavenly Father's love for us and were acting on His behalf.

I'm not an angel, but I am gathering a more distinct and complete understanding of how my Heavenly Father loves me. I know He loves you too and I pray, with this tiny little act, that you'll allow me to reflect the love and care our Heavenly Father has for all of us.

Would you please do me the great favor of taking your boys shopping sometime in the next few days and getting them some basketball shoes to play in as we watch them make us proud of the (school team)___s this season? If you'll do this for me, somewhere down the line when you're able and inclined to do the same, you'll get some kind of idea of the joy I'll feel every time I see them running like only those Jones boys can and, with hard work and some good luck, laying a licking on everyone they play this season!!!!!

Have a merry, merry Christmas!!!"

My daughter goes on to say:
Pride is a hard thing to swallow. The story does not end here.

I received a phone call from the Principal's secretary at the high school saying that she had a private matter she had to speak to me about.
A person or persons had made an anonymous donation to our family...they paid all three of the boys basketball fees and the remainder of their school fees.For those of you south of the border that was about $700-$800 dollars!

What a blessing. The Lord knows when no one else does. Our hearts are full for the friends we have made and love here in ___.

We are thankful for our boys and the way they present themselves in public, their kindness, their sportsmanship, their love of where they live and for the (school team)the ___s...Someone noticed, someone is always watching!