HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I am sure that having the Covid-19 to deal with for most of the year 2020, we are all going to see a lot of relief coming in 2021.

In light of that focus, I want to share some real-life examples of how people are helping people: (1) Michael Arnold of Santee, California: "As I left a party, I got on the wrong freeway and was immediately lost. I pulled over to the shoulder and called my Roadside- Assistant. She tried to connect me to the Highway Patrol, but that call never went through. Hearing the panic in my voice, she came up with a plan. She was about to close for the day, so she told me to just stay put and she would find me. Ten minutes later she arrived and guided me not only to the right freeway but all the way to the correct freeway exit, And then, with a wave of goodbye, she drove back into the night."

(2) Stacy Lee, Columbia, Md: "I saw a dress in a consignment shop that I knew my granddaughter would love. But money was tight, so I asked the store owner if she could hold it for me. Then a customer standing nearby asked if she could buy the dress for me. I told her I appreciated her offer but that I couldn't accept such a gracious gift. She then told me why it was so important for her to help me. She had been homeless for three years, she said, and had it not been for the kindness of strangers, she would not have been able to survive. She explained that she was no longer homeless, that her situation had greatly improved, and that she had promised herself that she would pay back the kindness so many had shown her. She then paid for the dress, and said that the only payment she would accept in return was a heartfelt hug. Good people are everywhere!"

(3) Cjndy Ellis, Ada, Oklahoma: "When my friend and I were injured in a car accident, a family from out of state stopped to help. Seeing we were hurt, they drove us to the hospital and stayed there until we were released. They then took us home, got us food, and made sure we were settled and safe. Amazingly, they had interrupted their vacation just to help us."

4) Jennifer Garcia, San Benito, Texas: I was four months pregnant with our first child when our baby's heart stopped beating. I was devastated. As the days went on, I was nervous about returning to work. I'm a Middle School teacher and didn't know how I could face the kids. This past May, after four weeks of recovering, I walked into my empty classroom and turned on the light. Glued to the wall were a hundred beautiful paper butterflies, each with a handwritten message on them from current and past students. All of them had encouraging messages, such as: "Keep moving forward," "Don't give up on God," and "Know that we love you." It was exactly what I needed."

Folks, these are just a tiny sampling of the many good deeds that people do every day.

Now to close on a humorous note: An old snake goes to his doctor and says, "I need something for my eyes. I can't see very well these days." The doctor fixes him up with a pair of glasses and tells him to return in two weeks. The snake comes back in two weeks and tells the doctor that he's very depressed. "What's the problem?" asks the doctor. "Didn't the glasses help you? "The glasses are fine, Doc," answers the snake dejectedly. "Only thing is I just discovered I've been living with a garden hose the past three years!"

Again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!