Wednesday, 23 July 2008
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A Place to Crash for Free, When We Needed It Most
Did you ever watch the movie Pay It Forward with the once-cute-lil-kid Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey? Each character in the movie did something kind and unexpected for another character and asked them to pay it forward. Even though the movie wasn't a Christian movie, the theme behind it is straight out of Matthew 7:12, So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.I love the concept of paying it forward and since I've moved up to the NYC area I've really been trying to put this into practice.
It all started when Mr. Dandelion was offered a job rather suddenly and had to start asap. So he moved up first while I stayed behind to pack up the apt and finish some projects at my old company. While we were super excited to move up here, without much knowledge of the area and due to the lack of funds it would have been pretty hard to find a decent place to live in such a short amount of time.
I was super worried about this but then a friend of mine from college heard about our predicament and offered to let the hubs stay with him for a month so we could save some money and search for a decent apt. We were so touched by his generosity, especially considering he really didn't know Mr. Dandelion that well.
After we left his apt (I ended up living there for a week as well), I thought about how I could pay my friend back for his kindness and boy was it hard to think of a suitable enough gesture. We wanted to give him money for utilities or a portion of the rent but he wouldn't have it. Sure we've invited him over to our place for dinner and gave him gifts on Christmas and birthdays but how can you put a monetary value on his generosity? He never expected anything from us.
So instead of trying to do all these things to try and pay our friend back, we've been trying to pay it forward. He was an incredible blessing to us in our time of need, so we wanted to try and bless others.
Since we've settled into our apt and got our bearings we have opened our place up to all our friends that needed a place to crash while they job hunted, grad school hunted or for vacay. I think at last count we've had about 29 guests (many of them repeated visitors so who knows maybe we've had around 42ppl) stay about 193 nights in the past 20 months in our apt. Many have tried to pay us back with money but we just ask they pay it forward. One day they'll be settled somewhere and someone is going to need their help.
Not only with the housing situation but in other areas of our life people have reached out and helped when they didn't have to. For instance, getting my current job wouldn't have been possible if one of my coworkers didn't tell me about it when I was job hunting. Her thoughtfulness and concern for me, someone she barely knew at the time, was something I never experienced before. I love my job and am so thankful to her for helping me out. So in return I'm trying to help out other folks that are looking for jobs by proofreading resumes or asking the network of people I've met here if they have available positions at their companies.
I could go on and on about the acts of kindness I've received and how the people that have given of themselves wanted nothing in return, but what I'm trying to say is that paying it forward is the way to go. If everyone practiced this concept who knows what would happen!
Have you ever been unexpectedly blessed by someone? How are you trying to bless others?
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Comments (9)
that's pretty cool! :) I've never tried the concept since I always try to pay someone back ... I think I'll start trying to pay it forward too!
wow - this is such an encouragement dandelion! pay it forward it such a simple concept, but an awesome one too.
i first learned this from my dad - who always told me to do a good deed to someone else to say thank you to him. in ways, that's how God works too - it's how we treat the least of us is reflective of how we treat Him.
First off, good post. I think it was only last night when I had recommended this movie to a friend.
Out of fear of legalism, I'd like to steer away from the term "pay". I don't think we need to pay anything anywhere: forward, backward, upward. Grace and mercy given are gifts, and should be accepted as such. I think, however, if we daily dwell on The Gift God gave to us, namely His Son Jesus Christ, there will sprout seeds of spontaneous worship that will reflect (as Chris mentioned) the nature of the gift God gave to us, which is self-sacrifice and love which is all coated with love.
So go, and continue, but with your grip evermore clinging to that gospel truth in which we are so dependent on.
We just watched that movie last night! We love to pay it forward. I was helped by someone 20+ years ago, and she said at the time to just give it back to someone else in the future. We have continued to do so as much as we can. It is always such an awesome feeling... good post, thanks for bringing this up!
I love the movie and the concept. I wish more people would focus on blessing others moreso than themselves.
~Angel~
Its a great movie and a great way to live. Giving is a blessing, it does not matter what or how you give!
It's been a long time since I've seen that movie...I should rewatch it. Meanwhile, yes, I think it's a great way to live. There have been many times in my life when I've either payed it forward or been the recipient of a "forward payment" but the one that stands out the most at the moment is the pair of glasses frames a gentleman at my church bought for me last year. I had broken mine, and he came up and told me how when he was college-aged someone had helped him out by replacing his broken glasses, and he wanted to do the same for me. All he asked was that if I was ever given the opportunity, I would do the same. I certainly hope to be able to some day.
Paying it forward is a great idea.
In His Love,
Jaime
I love that movie but it made me cry. too bad we cant a live like that little boy