They say that what goes around, comes around. We hear it so often it almost sounds like a cliché—until you experience it firsthand. Last week, I stood in a bank line and watched a moment of quiet desperation turn into a powerful lesson about the “Law of the Harvest.”
It all started with a simple Mason jar and a girl who reminded me of a version of myself I thought I had left behind decades ago.
A Jar Full of Pennies
I was waiting my turn at the bank when I noticed a college-aged girl standing behind me. In her hands, she clutched a glass Mason jar. It wasn’t full; in fact, it was barely one-third of the way filled with loose change—mostly pennies and nickels.
Trying to lighten the mood, I jokingly mentioned that she should probably wait until the jar was filled to the brim before cashing it in. I expected a laugh or a shrug. Instead, I got a dose of reality that stopped me in my tracks.
She looked at me, a bit tired, and explained that she had absolutely no funds left in her bank account. She needed to cash those coins in immediately just to get by. Looking at the jar, I realized she was probably looking at a total of maybe five dollars.
In that moment, I wasn’t standing in a modern bank anymore. I was transported back nearly thirty years to my own days as a struggling student at BYU. I remembered the heavy weight of financial stress, the feeling of counting every cent, and the hollow pit in your stomach when you aren’t sure how you’ll make it to the end of the month.
The Decision to Act
When it was finally my turn at the teller, my heart was racing. I knew I couldn’t just walk away and leave her with five dollars in change. I asked the teller to withdraw fifty dollars from my own account.
“I’d like you to deposit this fifty dollars into that girl’s account along with her coins,” I whispered.
The teller looked at me, completely surprised. “Do you know her?” she asked.
“I don’t,” I replied. “But I know what it feels like to be her. She needs this more than I do right now.”
The teller’s eyes softened. She remarked that it was one of the kindest gestures she had ever witnessed in her time at the bank. As I walked out, I felt a strange mix of emotions—uplifted, yet slightly anxious. After all, I had my own bills and expenses to worry about. As I reached my car, I offered a silent, unvoiced prayer: Please bless that girl, and please watch over me, too.
The 100% Return
Fast forward to the end of my work week. I was busy, focused on my tasks, and had almost forgotten about the incident at the bank. That was when a customer walked in who would become the living answer to my prayer.
Their total bill came to just under fifty dollars. It was a standard transaction, or so I thought. When it came time to pay, the customer didn’t just cover the bill—they left a fifty-dollar tip.
A full 100% tip. The exact amount I had given away just days prior.
I stood there in shock. It felt as though the universe was handing back exactly what I had put out into the world. It was a physical reminder that when we lead with a generous heart, we are never truly “losing” anything. We are simply planting seeds that will eventually grow and return to us when we need them most.
The Takeaway
Generosity isn’t about having an abundance of wealth; it’s about having an abundance of heart. Whether it’s fifty dollars or a kind word, your actions have a ripple effect that you may never see, but the world certainly feels.
If you have the chance to be the light in someone else’s dark day, take it. You never know when that light will find its way back to you.
Wishing you all an amazing, blessed week ahead!