Doing something for someone else
August 24, 2022
By Jeff Becraft
This morning, I pulled a mug out of the cabinet. On it is a moose and the words “Upper Peninsula.” I got it when Brenda and I went to Michigan back in 2019.
It is a trip I have talked about before and it is one of my favorite trips I have ever taken with Brenda. It was on this trip that I picked up the phrase, “It’s a great day to have a great day.”
While we were there, we stayed at the house of a couple named Joe & Ginny. We had never met Joe & Ginny. They didn’t know us from Adam’s house cat. But we had a mutual friend named Oakley and when I had told Oakley that Brenda wanted to go to Michigan for our anniversary, he said he knew some friends there and that they would probably let us stay at their house. (My life changes every time I talk with Oakley.) He called and they said OK.
Brenda had one or two phone conversations with Ginny and that was it.
The next thing I know, we were on our way to Michigan… and we were being welcomed into a home by people who had never seen us or met us.
They gave us their entire downstairs, which was a lot nicer than any hotel room. And their generosity saved us a ton of money.
I remember first walking in the front door with our luggage in hand. It was late in the day and Ginny immediately says, “You need to drive up such-n-such road.” After a few minutes of conversation, we were off (which was a typical itinerary for the week). The area was beautiful in the late part of the day and we eventually stopped at a lighthouse, saw Lake Michigan, and watched the sun set. As we headed back to the house in the almost dark, we came across one restaurant that was open and we stopped. That one restaurant turned out to be a fabulous restaurant (that was going to close in 15 minutes). A beautiful drive, sunset, fantastic dinner… all to celebrate then 34 years of marriage… it was like something out of a movie.
When we had first walked in the house, Joe & Ginny could have talked with us for a long time to find out about these strangers from SC that would be staying in their home. But instead, Ginny was thinking of us first. She knew there wasn’t much time left in the day and she scooted us out the door.
Even though we were there only a week (and usually not at the house), I think of Joe & Ginny often. We didn’t get to talk with them much during the week (Brenda and I were on the move) but the times we did, it was very enriching. Ginny was so open and honest and shared with us several situations in her life at that time. There are several life lessons that I wrote down in my journal that Ginny had said in one of those conversations. And one night, Ginny had already gone to bed and we talked with Joe while hanging out in the kitchen. He is one of the nicest and most humble people you could meet. They were extremely supportive of us during the week and gave us inside tips on things to possibly see.
That Michigan trip came at an important time for Brenda and I in the stresses of life. It was like a breath of fresh air. Joe & Ginny helped to make that possible.
Every time I pull out that mug, I think about Joe & Ginny. And I am thankful for them… and for their generosity, hospitality, love, support, and encouragement.
So, when you do something for someone else… whether it be big or small… never underestimate the impact that it might have on their life. Joe & Ginny impacted our lives.
It’s a great day to do something for someone else today!
Jeff Becraft is the Director Emeritus for Youth Corps and has dedicated much of his life to helping shift the vision of people’s lives. Youth Corps is a life-changing leadership development experience that inspires high school students to be leaders in the Midlands and beyond. You can connect with Jeff at [email protected].
