Struggling Mom Didn't Have Enough to Cover Her Grocery Bill Until Thanksgiving Act of Kindness
October 24, 2024
A Thanksgiving act of kindness helped put food on the table for a family struggling to make ends meet. And it goes to show no kind deed is too big or too small to make a difference!
John Gray, a newspaper journalist in NY, shared an inspiring short story of how an act of kindness gave one family the perfect Thanksgiving. And while this modern-day parable may possibly be a work of fiction, the moral rings powerfully true.
RELATED: Teen Working at Kroger Hears Senior Citizen Told to Put Groceries Back So He Pulls Out His Wallet
John's story focuses on a struggling mom, Margaret Houlihan. Because of health issues, Margaret couldn't work. So, she stayed home and took care of the kids and house while her husband worked at a nearby factory.
God made sure the family always had just enough. But like so many Americans, they lived paycheck to paycheck with no cushion should any unexpected expenses arise.
As Thanksgiving Day neared, Margaret skimped and saved. Her goal was to have enough money to buy a fresh turkey for the first time ever, instead of a frozen one.
"Now, there was nothing wrong with a frozen bird," John writes. "But every year, Margaret would find herself staring longingly through the glass case, at the local supermarket, at the ‘fresh turkeys,’ wishing she could afford one."
A Helpful Tip
Margaret's hopes were dashed when she finally showed up at the grocery store with the money she'd saved. As Sal at the meat counter showed her the price of a fresh turkey, she realized her dream was impossible.
"I knew they were more expensive, but I didn’t realize they’d be three times as much as the frozen ones," she glumly told the butcher.
Sal noticed Margaret's "weathered shoes and faded coat" with missing buttons and his heart broke. So, he gave Margaret a tip. Any fresh turkeys left on the day before Thanksgiving would be marked half price.
RELATED: Single Dad’s Card Was Declined At The Grocery Store And God Tells Stranger Just What To Do
With Margaret's hopes restored, she told Sal she would see him the day before Thanksgiving.
But in the coming days, Sal watched the fresh turkeys fly off the shelves. He knew it would take a special Thanksgiving act of kindness to make sure Margaret got one. So, he took one out of the case and hid it in the freezer in the back.
A Thanksgiving Act Of Kindness
On the day before Thanksgiving, Margaret showed up at the meat counter to see if any fresh turkeys remained. Sal marched to the back and brought her the one he had saved.
Delighted, Margaret headed for the checkout. But the grocery store manager confronted Sal. The manager didn't know about Sal's Thanksgiving act of kindness, only that he'd broken the rules by stashing a fresh turkey in the back freezer.
"I did set it aside, but not for me," Sal explained, pointing to Margaret at the checkout.
The grocery store manager noticed the same things about Margaret that Sal had -- her tattered coat and shoes. He watched as she laid out her coupons and carefully counted the money she'd saved.
And when the total for all of her items appeared at the register, her face fell. Margaret was four dollars short.
The store manager marched over to the register and spoke directly to the cashier.
"Susan, did you not see the sales signs we put out today? Everyone who buys a fresh turkey gets a free pumpkin pie. Take that pie off her bill, please," he said.
Margaret now had enough money to pay her bill, along with the Thanksgiving dinner of which she'd dreamed.
Be sure to read the full version of John Gray's story HERE.
Be Inspired By Thanksgiving Act Of Kindness
It's unclear if John Gray's story about a Thanksgiving act of kindness is a true event he witnessed or rather, a work of fiction. But there are certainly plenty of real-life examples of grocery store acts of kindness, such as the Walmart cashier who paid for a stranger's groceries or the time a woman dropped everything to help an elderly man at the grocery store.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 10 Modern Day Parables To Inspire Your Faith
Kindness is all around us. And if you don't see it, perhaps God is calling you to be the light by stepping up and performing a simple act of kindness!
"Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance" Colossians 3:12
LISTEN: Senior Citizen Starts Putting Groceries Back When He Can’t Pay But Teen Cashier Stops Him
h/t: Love What Matters
Featured Image: Getty Images/cyano66
Mel is the senior writer for GodUpdates, finding, writing and sharing Christian, uplifting, and health-related stories from around the world. Mel has a passion for writing and graduated with a degree in English from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. When she’s not researching and writing stories, Mel is very active in her church. You can usually find Mel playing board games with her husband and two young girls, giving someone a hug, or hunting down a good cup of coffee!
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Transforming Worry into Trust - Your Daily Prayer - October 24
Worrying does nothing to benefit our lives in any way; it only takes away. It takes away the present moments and present joy you could experience, not to mention it takes away from a peaceful life.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Transforming Worry into Trust - Your Daily Prayer - October 24
Worrying does nothing to benefit our lives in any way; it only takes away. It takes away the present moments and present joy you could experience, not to mention it takes away from a peaceful life.
Past Stories
- A Cab Driver Almost Didn't Wait. Then Someone Climbed Into His Backseat Who Changed His Life Forever.
- Top Tips For A Successful Marriage From A Couple Married 87 Years. #14 Is My Favorite!
- How This Girl Was Protected From An Attacker in a Dark Alley Gave Me Chills. WOW!
- Sneaky Photobombing Dogs Have Perfect Timing
- This Christian Couple's Dedication to the Lord is Incredibly Inspiring
- These 10 Unusual Animal Friendships Are Amazing. #5 Just Melted My Heart To Pieces!
- 2 Gorilla Brothers Amazed Everyone With Their Emotions When They Were Reunited
- Orphaned Chimpanzee Gets Adopted By A Family Of Dogs
- A Tribute To A Firefighter Who Died While Saving Others
- Kids Say the Darndest Things. Especially About Marriage!
- Security Guard Loves His Job At Disney World And Spreads Joy
- These Church-Going Kids Are About To Make You Chuckle. So Cute!
- A Toddler Who Is Fighting Cancer Asked for Pizza And Got a Miracle
- Thoughtful Young Man Becomes A Human Chair For An Elderly Lady
- A Pregnant Dog with Half a Face Saved 2 Little Girls from Death. Incredible!
- 2 Friends Went to The Shore to Relax But Ended Up Saving A Lamb's Life
- God Helps a Brave Mother Keep Her Little Children Quiet for 5 Hours To Survive Terrorist Attack
- Nothing Else Could Save This Baby's Life, That's When Her Big Brother Performed a Miracle.
- Churchgoers Ignored the Pleas of A Homeless Man
- 19 Fool-Proof Ways to Turn Any Frown Upside Down
- When His Teacher Learned His Secret, It Brought Her To Tears. And Made Her A Better Person.
- She Feared For Her Life When God Told Her To Pedal. But Then, Her Trust Paid Off. WOW!
- Family Is Being Persecuted For Their Faith
- 10 Grooms' Faces When They First See Their Brides
- This Baby Was Abandoned by His Mother and Called an Ugly Duckling. Then Something Beautiful Happened
- When I Heard What This Woman Did In A Walmart Parking Lot, I Was Stunned.
- 30 Incredible Photos of Children Playing Will Show You What Sheer JOY Looks Like!
- These 6 Couples Didn't Let Storms of Life Ruin Their Wedding Days
- The Willis Family - A Tragic & Inspiring Story
- Veteran Waited On New Wheelchair For 2 Years But Then Lowe's Employees Stepped In
- This Elephant Was Chained And Beaten For 50 Years. But Now He's Free And I'm Not The Only One Crying!
- This Waiter Got The Surprise of A Lifetime from a Complete Stranger. And It Wasn't HIS Birthday!
- You Won't Believe What This 8-Year-Old Did For His Brother. To Him, He's Not Disabled, He's PERFECT!
- This Man Wrote A Letter To The Teacher Who Changed His Life. Just Wait 'Til You Read It!
- A Grieving Dad Begged for Help To Take Away The Pain. How Total Strangers Responded Had Me In Tears!
- These 3 Trees Had Big Dreams, But They Came Crashing Down! This Tale Will Change Your Life!
- Those Who Wrongfully Judged this Fisherman Because of His Appearance Missed Out on a HUGE Blessing!
- 14 Precious Rat Photos That Prove God Doesn't Make Mistakes
- Sweet Giraffe Kisses Dying Zoo Worker Goodbye
- A Father Hadn't Spoken to His Daughter in a Year. But What He Did for Her is a Lesson in Forgiveness
- These Deer Were Trapped In The Icy Waters With No Hope In Sight. Until God Sent Help Just In Time!
- He Was Bullied To His Breaking Point... But God Sent a Friend to Save His Life.
- When She Lost Her Battle With Cancer, They Lost Their Biggest Fan.
- Grieving Parents are Comforted by Wedding Dresses Turned into Angel Gowns for Babies
- This New Marine Gave Her Grandpa A Huge Surprise. And Her First Salute!
- A Soldier in Battle Faced Death. But How God 'Covered' Him and the Entire Army is Truly a MIRACLE!
- Most of Them Were Left Out of Their High School Proms, But Wait Until You See What God Had in Mind!
- What A Room Full Of Balloons Can Teach You About Joy
- He Fought Off A Rapist And Saved A Woman's Life. But He Says He's No Hero!
- Woman Writes Letter to Daughter-In-Law in the Future
Top Music Videos
CCM Magazine Steven Curtis Chapman Shares the Heartfelt Message that Helped While Grieving His Daughter
Crowder Crowder Moving Official 'Somebody Prayed' Music Video
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Mandisa Mandisa - Shackles (Praise You)
Anne Wilson Anne Wilson 'The Cross' Powerful Lyric Video
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.