Have you ever had a Ding Dong? Me either till about a few days ago when one of my colleagues offered me one. I didn’t have lunch for the day so she offered me the small chocolate cake with icing in the middle. I normally don’t eat sweets but it was love at first bite. All day I talked about how much I enjoyed that sweet little treat. It was the perfect mixture of cake and icing creating a blend of heaven in my mouth.
The next day I slumped over to my cubicle half-awake when I saw a golden package shining from the top of my desk. Some lovely human brought me a pack of ding-dongs. I ate them with a smile and walked over to the colleague that introduced them to me. Assuming it was her I walked over and started thanking her when she told me she didn’t buy them for me. I laughed it off and told her it was a good joke and that I really did appreciate her getting me some. The next day I walk over to my desk and there again is a new package of ding-dongs. I walk back over to my friend and began to thank her again when she told me that it really was not her and that she had no idea who had been buying them for me.
A week has gone by now and I still thought it was my friend who originally gave me my first ding-dong. I decided to return the favor and so I bought her breakfast one morning thanking her. Again, she insisted it wasn’t her and again I didn’t believe her. Today I was talking to my boss when he asked me what my new favorite treat was and I smiled and said “Ding-Dongs”. He then asked if I knew who gave them to me and I told him well yea duhhhhh my friend Lyndsey got them for me. He smiled and shook his head. He pointed to the sweet lady who quietly sits at the end of the row who I have never really ever had a conversation with before this week. He said see her, that’s Cindy, that’s whose been leaving you ding-dongs. She heard you that one day say you liked them and went out that night and bought some for you. My mouth dropped. She has been hearing me thank my friend every day and she hasn’t said a word. She humbly allowed me to believe it was someone else. I’ve had several conversations with her this week for the first time and she never once mentioned what she had done for me. We all need to be a Cindy and have a Cindy in our life.
Cindy reminded me of God and how he treats us. God leaves us small packages everyday on our desk and he watches us thank others for an act that he did. He humbly allows us to give thanks to people who had nothing to do with that blessing; he sits back quietly in his cubicle. God sometimes quietly works in the shadows supplying us with what we need. He provides us with so much and the sad thing is that we often thank the wrong person. Instead of being angry God humbles himself and remains silent.
Cindy heard me thanking Lyndsey every day, she had so many opportunities to say it was her but she didn’t. How many of us do something for someone and then expect a thank you? We expect something in return? I know I would be pissed if I heard the person thank someone else, I would want the credit. Cindy made me take a step back and think about how we (I) need to be more humble and work like God.
God’s love is one way, he provides us with what we need but here is the catch he doesn’t expect anything back. He is happy by simply just making us happy. Cindy’s act was a one way love type of act. She didn’t tell me it was her because she didn’t expect anything back; it was all about the act of giving. We get lost in two way love and wanting things in return that we do things for the wrong reason. We do things only to get something in return or to get praise so we can feel good about ourselves. True happiness comes from the way Cindy did it, true happiness comes from the true act of selfless giving.
Cindy does not know that I know now it was her. She doesn’t need that satisfaction of me knowing to feel good because her joy came from what God created us for and that’s loving one another. She will not know until I send her this blog because I need her to know how much she touched me. A ding-dong turned into a blessing that I am so thankful for. She made me realize what’s truly important. I saw God in Cindy.
Cindy, thank you. Thank you for humbling yourself enough to not correct me when I thanked the wrong person. Thank you for hearing what made me happy and going out of your way to make sure I smiled. You did not know me and yet you still went out of your way. You exemplified extreme humility and grace. You taught me such a powerful lesson on giving. Your act will be carried with me for a long time to come.