When James Picked Up the Tab Posted by Arlene Pellicane on June 30, 2008

My husband James and I are both frugal people. We load up on free bread at restaurants and then take part of our entree home. We fill up on free samples at Costco. We never order drinks at restaurants—it's only water for us! You get the picture.

A few years ago, we were on vacation and eating the most delicious banana macadamia nut pancakes at the Gazebo restaurant in Maui. Topped with coconut syrup and whipped cream, the flight over was worth it just for the pancakes. But I digress. While waiting, we met an older Christian man and learned he had spent much of his life mentoring younger men. Case in point, he was having breakfast with a young man in his 30s.

We parted ways and while we were eating, James felt impressed by the Lord to pay for their bill. So he arranged it with the waitress. Imagine their surprise when they found out their bill was already paid for! An unexpected act of kindness like Anne Swanson talks about in her article "Simple Gestures."

It was our prayer for that man to be encouraged for all the times he had taken people out to meals to mentor them. A funny twist is that we visited a church on the island and guess who was there? Those same people and we all had breakfast together at the Gazebo again a few days later. 

My husband James' act of kindness paved the way to form an unexpected friendship. Whenever you do something out of the ordinary for someone, it will be noticed. If not by the recepient, then by the Lord!