What’s the Catch

Last week Natalie Leis invited me to iGet2Give 2010. Natalie and I have only known each other for a few months but has been a good friend and someone i can call who is always readily available to talk. (Gift 1) Last night there was a woman who lost her daughter a few months ago, Makayla, and she shared her story (Gift 2). While listening to her story, I started to think about my little girl who is living with Grandma and Grampa right now as I am in school and working. After the shared story, there was time to write a little message to someone in our lives who had done something for us the past year and I didn’t know what I would get my parents for Christmas until they told us about the Christmas Card on our place setting. I took that card and wrote my mom and dad a letter of thanks and appreciation for how they have help me in the past few years. (Gift 3) During the last gift giveaway, Natalie’s mom was blessed with a free alignment. After the conference, she asked me if I knew of anyone who needed an alignment and instantly a school friend popped into my head who is going through things like all of us are. But I went to her house called her on the phone and told her i needed her to come outside. When she came out to the car, I told her about the conference and how a woman had blessed me with the car alignment certificate to give to someone else and she immediately popped into my head. She broke out in the biggest smile and said she had never been blessed like this with a free car alignment (unique gift indeed). She looked at me after the reality of not having to worry about her car being un-aligned through the winter and asked “What’s the catch? No one has ever given me anything without strings attached.” So I told her “Just like you have received freely, freely you shall give.” And she told me she didn’t have anything to give so I gave her the brochure that we got in our placesetting and told her that she can lend an ear, shoulder, tissue with the ear or shoulder if need be but she had to pass on something after she received the gift (Gift 4). Through this experience, I have learned so much about myself and how I can encourage others without having to spend a dime.