{"id":1794,"date":"2022-02-10T12:35:45","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T17:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2022\/02\/10\/dear-veronica\/"},"modified":"2022-02-10T12:35:45","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T17:35:45","slug":"dear-veronica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2022\/02\/10\/dear-veronica\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear Veronica"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today\u2019s message is dedicated to a Walmart associate by the name of Veronica in Landisville, PA. Your generosity, empathy, and concern have left a stamp on my heart forever.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dear Veronica,

I don\u2019t know if you remember me or not but on this past Sunday I came into your store around 745pm with my husband and youngest son. I came in hurt, broken, scared, lost, and confused. But after my encounter with you; I left feeling whole, blessed, loved, and grateful.

I\u2019ve never come out of a store so thankful for another human being, like the day I met you. 

So you see you only knew part of the story the day you helped my family but God placed it on my heart to tell you the full story just so you know how you blessed my soul. God used YOU in a powerful way and I just to say thank you. (My goal is to send this letter to your store manager in hopes he\/she will see your good works and it bless you financially<\/em> or even put a smile on your face).


Here\u2019s how it all began:

My family and I had recently come up on some hard times since my husbands bike accident on the night of Thanksgiving 2021. He had been out of work for some time due to the injuries he sustained and it put us in a financially compromising position. 

Like most folks who go through rough patches they make sacrifices, make changes, and do what they have to do to make ends meet. So that was the \u201cstory\u201d of my life but my husband and I would never sacrifice our kids future for this temporary financial dilemma we were having.

We did what most parents would do, we made it happen!

So on last Friday before we headed to Mannheim, PA a sweet friend called to bless our family. This friend never knew how relieved I was when she called me and just as I prepared to meet her, her car shut off on the way to take her kids to school. So instead of me focusing on receiving the blessing she had so generously offered, my mind shifted to help her and her family out. 

My husband tried to get her car to start but was unsuccessful so he pushed her car out of the road into a safe place, we dropped her kids off to school, and proceeded take her to work. She was so kind of brought us breakfast. I didn\u2019t want to mention anything about the financial blessing because knowing her car was down she would need the money and we would be okay.

Truth be told, we needed the money but I couldn\u2019t pull myself to take away from her knowing she didn\u2019t know what it would take to repair her car. So after all was said and done, we left South Carolina and headed to Mannheim, PA.

My sons basketball tournament was being held at Spooky Nook Sports Complex and we didn\u2019t want him to miss this opportunity for the world. 

We enjoyed seeing the east coast and made a few stops along the way. The kids knew we were on a tight budget and couldn\u2019t do much outside of the basic necessities (which included gas, hotel stay, and food- we were on a major budget so had decided to make sandwiches, fruit, and water to make our money stretch). 

My boys had been invited to have dinner with the team and in hopes of not disappointing them, we went. They enjoyed themselves so much. Being mindful of our spending my husband and I ordered the least expensive things just so my kids could have the $4.00 fries and $15.00 pepperoni pizza. We didn\u2019t splurge, we all drank water, but we were satisfied and they were happy, in turn I was happy as well. 

It was our first time in Pennsylvania as a family and there were a lot of places we wanted to see including the infamous Philly. We had always wanted to try an authentic Philly cheesesteak unlike the Steakums most restaurants serve here but because money was tight we would have to save it for the \u201cnext time.\u201d 

Friday through Saturday was an adventure, but what happened next is when the true adventure started.

Sunday morning it was time to check out of the hotel- we swept the room to ensure we had everything. We went to Micah\u2019s last basketball game (leaving disappointed due to it being a blow out). I was a little aggravated but decided to make the most of things. We were heading to leave PA but decided to run into Gabes with the intentions of only window shopping but William (my youngest you met in Walmart) wanted a few things. I thought it would be okay, or so I thought.

I had lost my debit card. My husband had been using his cash to buy our food and drinks and cover parking costs, I used one debit card to secure the hotel stay and pay for the events, but the card I needed that we used for gas was nowhere to be found.

It was Sunday night- banks were closed, the last few places I called were closed at this point where I used my card. We were stuck with only $31 dollars to our name without the card. We were on a half a tank of gas, food was running low, it was dark and cold, and my boys started to get antsy. Anxiety had come over me. We had sat outside for what felt like hours looking through the car with no luck. We were stranded!!!! 

A lot of my family hadn\u2019t even known we were out of state. Some of them would have chastised my decision to go knowing things have been a little shaky back in home or the fact covid had recently hit our household hard (3 out of 5). 

I sat in silence while my husband reassured me things would be okay. He began to pray (which we are a family that believes in the power of prayer)and I felt better. Rico had used his brain and thought of how we could transfer the money to himself (knowing options are fewer using a Walmart money card). Cash app would not work, Zelle wouldn\u2019t work, money gram wasn\u2019t an option, but God placed it on his heart to create his own Walmart money card account and now this is where you came into our lives.

We walked into Walmart and the only persons who had high hopes were my husband and children. I had spent the last few hours beating myself up mentally for being so careless as to loose the card we needed to get home. I was so upset we couldn\u2019t get to explore and try that Philly cheesesteaks we wanted, and I was tired of telling my kids \u201cmaybe next time.\u201d

God used you and my sweet husband to restore my peace, to help me remain calm, to show me the reason why I hope and keep the faith. 

It was the persistence, the patience, the understanding, the hug, the fighting attitude, and the positive affirmation from you and my husband that led me down a path I could only dream of. 

I\u2019ll never forget the 45 minutes you took out of your busy schedule to help little ole me. I\u2019ll never forget the determined look in my husbands eyes to help rectify what I messed up, I\u2019ll never forget his hug of reassurance, I\u2019ll never forget his prayer, I\u2019ll never forget his time stood still as he held me in his arms as I cried tears of joy. 

Had I not lost my debit card, I may have never met you. I may have never heard my husband pray for our family as fervently as he did. I might not have ever seen a more tangible act of God\u2019s love through my husband and a perfect stranger like I did in this moment. And to think you hugged me and blessed my family for going above and beyond what any customer service representative has ever done. 

Veronica, you are a remarkable child of God and a beautiful woman. You\u2019re my angel! I will never forget what you did for me. I\u2019ll never forget the second chance your act of kindness gave me and my husband. 

All the pain, hurt, bitterness, confusion, loneliness, and sorrow I felt since I lost my mom March 2021; all the tears I\u2019ve cried and prayers I\u2019ve prayed in hopes of saving my marriage, and all the blood and tears I\u2019ve shed as a mother trying to give my children a chance at a better life, and all the moments I had to sacrifice and opportunities that passed me by never felt in vain the moment I met you. 

May God bless you and shine his many blessings upon you.

I pray we will meet again and I can bless you the way you blessed my family.


Warm Regards,

Whitnee\u2019 <\/pre>\n\n\n\n
P.S. that\u2019s not where the story ends. Not only did we decide to stay an extra night (I was exhausted and our family needed rest) but we finally got to do some of the things we always wanted to do. Your act of kindness extended my trust in my husband more and all this time I thought he might have been making slightly irrational choices that weren\u2019t financially sound- he was just living life and enjoying his time will his clock is still ticking.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This freed me and I wasn\u2019t a boring wife\/mother\/woman for a few days. I seized the moment!!!! And boy do I tell you IT FELT GOOD!!!!! And to think before I met you I thought the world as I\u2019ve known it for the last 15 years was coming to an end but I\u2019m looking at life in a new light thanks to you and my husband and now I\u2019m smiling brighter than I ever did. Things have been good for me, for my family, and I pray the same for you. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
As humans we might not always get it right the first time. Maybe not even the second or third time but thank God we serve a God of second chances. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Veronica, you gave me a chance to love again with my WHOLE HEART and to take chances. By the way, we were like Dora the explorer. And to my surprise faith, agape love, and $160 can take you farther than you could ever imagine! We went to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n