CLAIMING MY TICKET

It all started with a little Facebook post.

That week had been a crazy one for me. The Redemption Run was in 3 days, and we were scrambling for alternatives as the smoke from raging wildfires crept into our valley and hovered for days. I had a million and one things on my 'To-Do' list, and I was still working my regular day job for 8 hours a day, making phone calls and sending emails on my breaks.

I couldn't possibly put one more thing on my plate. Right? Right? Can I get an Amen, Sista?

And then I read this.

I had been following my friend Alicia's adventures online. Last summer this teacher from Redding, California decided to commit the bulk of her summer vacations to the people of Gulu. I read her blog post about the pigs, and without really thinking about it I sent Alicia a message asking how Oregon could get in on some Vigilante Kindness.

She wrote me right back. Some kids needed $230 shoes for school. Could I help?

Crap. Do I even have time for this?

My compassionate, adventurous spirit is impressing and inspiring you right now, no?

But seriously. I'm just an ordinary girl, working an ordinary job, living an ordinary life, trying to make a difference, and my schedule is packed. I'm planning this event for goshsakes. And I'm stressed out. I would be nuts to add one. more. thing.

But there was this little voice. It's hard to describe if you've never heard it. But in that moment I knew I had a choice.

CLAIM IT  or  CUT IT LOOSE.

No one would blame me for walking away from this one. And honestly, no one except Alicia would ever know.

It's like I had this little ticket in my hand, and I could take it up to the counter and hand it over or I could just let it flutter to the floor with all the other tickets I was too busy to claim.

I took a deep breath and opened up my Facebook and turned in my ticket. I had no idea what was about to happen. I didn't even know if anyone would respond to my post. Within 5 hours I had this.

20 people responded to my invitation to knock their socks off. I sent my son ELLIS out on a mission to collect the cash, and within 24 hours we were wiring $350 to Gulu.

But that's not the end of the story. Our money got there too late. Some California Vigilantes beat us to it and bought the shoes. Alicia messaged me and asked what she should do with our money. We decided to spend one day praying about it. We asked God to bring something crazy and heart-pounding and wild. We prayed He would make it obvious what that money was for.

And He did.

Tomorrow night I am having a big "Kindness Vigilante" party at my house. We will be celebrating what happened the day I turned in my ticket. I will be sharing some incredible news with each of them, because really, they turned in tickets too. I can't wait to sit in my living room and laugh our heads off about how God took our coffee money and our spare change and our ratty tickets and started something amazing in a little village in Uganda.

Today, if you hear a little voice, STOP. Just stop. Even if your plate is full. If God hands you a little ticket, don't cut it loose. CLAIM IT. You never know what will happen. It could be something magical.