The Refrigerator

Once there was a refrigerator. It wasn’t a very special refrigerator. As far as appliances went, it was pretty ordinary. No water dispenser. No ice crushing function. It wasn’t really much to look at either. Some color between cream and eggshell and boring.

Just a refrigerator.

The first home of this ordinary appliance was with a family. I don’t know who they were. I only know that when they upgraded, they passed on the plain vanilla fridge to a young couple just starting out in life. They had both recently graduated from college and were in their first “real” jobs as managers for big companies with household names. In fact, this fridge was regularly stocked with some of the products that the groom represented. They worked hard and did well and soon moved into a home stocked with all new appliances.

What were they going to do with the fridge?

The bride had an assistant at the hotel that she worked at. That assistant was a single mom that always seemed to be just a little behind, no matter how hard she worked. The single mom not only worked for this new bride, but for brides-to-be on their wedding days as a coordinator. She was even known to work during the holidays checking coats for all the big parties at the hotel. And she heard that she was also waiting tables at night. She would do well some day, but at that moment, this mom was struggling. “Could you use this fridge?” The assistant was so thankful and tears filled her eyes at the kindness of this woman. She finally would have more than a cooler to store her family’s food.

The assistant did work hard and eventually was awarded a position opening up a new hotel in another city. She found a home for the fridge. It went to a struggling family who had just moved into the complex she was leaving. It wasn’t anything pretty to look at, she told the family, but they didn’t mind. They were just happy to not have to worry about paying extra rent for a place to keep the food that would feed their own family.

Just a plain, no frills, no ice maker, boring vanilla refrigerator.

I’m not really sure where that fridge ended up. I think about that simple appliance all the time and wonder… I hope it gave a few more families some relief, however small, for a few more stops. It’s amazing how something so plain and so simple made such an impact on the lives of so many.

How do we impact the lives of others? How do our small offerings make a big difference to those around us? Some of us will never know the peace that a person feels after being given something of little value to others, but of greater consequence to them. This is the season that we remember those little things. My hope is that the spirit of giving stay alive throughout the year. This is going to be a time in history when we will have many opportunities to find simple solutions for others that may possibly impact not only how they live, but how we all live. I pray for God to open my eyes to those opportunities and that I continue to be blessed with the chance to fill some needs for others... however simple.

Please come back VERY soon for a chance to impact the lives of others. VERY VERY soon!

;)