"Hey! We Bought you Dinner!"

With our move to St. George, Paul and I realize we have been so blessed with specific people Heavenly Father has put into our path to help us and make our loads lighter. We are so thankful. Paul and I have challenged ourselves to be more Christ like and look for more ways to serve others around us. Serving others can be difficult for some, especially if you are an introvert (both Paul and I). It would be so much easier to just keep to ourselves. But would that bring us any happiness? "There are so many people in need whom we could be thinking about instead of ourselves.. There are so many ways we could be serving. We have no time to become absorbed in ourselves."-Dieter F. Uchtdorf. We understand that we can have an impact on others and can be a light to those around us. Even if it is awkward or weird we would rather be those things and know that we are doing something good for another person.

Here is an experience I never want to forget. It makes me laugh just thinking about it.

Paul and I took a quick trip to St. George to sign our apartment contract (yessss... that story another time). So we realized at 8pm that our homework was due online at 10 so we ran over to the nearest McDonalds to steal their internet for a little bit. So we ran in and looked around to find a table. It was pretty empty but I noticed (how could we not notice) this guy with really long dark hair, head down, in a wheel chair, and was blaring (literally so loud) screamo music from his phone. First impression=not so great.

We found a table and started on our homework. oh but this guys music! It was SO loud and I couldn't concentrate at all. I wanted to look back at him and give him my stink eye but forced myself not to. I couldn't help but think, "what is wrong with this guy? and why doesn't he have a pair of headphones?" Over Avril lavigne's horribly sad music I heard the McDonalds worker ask the guy if he was going to buy anything. He said he didn't have any money and wondered if the worker was going to kick him out. The McDonalds worker was super nice and didn't (even though I was thinking in my head to pleeeeease get this guy out of here).

Okay so we finally got our homework done and were walking out. As we were walking to the door the guy looked up at us. Paul gave him a nod and I gave him an awkward smile (I was a little nervous). We drove out of the parking lot and started talking about this really weird guy. Paul randomly was like, "Should we get him something to eat?" and then it was like uh yes we need to do this.

We decided to go through the drive through, order him a meal and tell the workers to give it to him... SLOWEST MCDONALDS ON EARTH. We were like, "Oh my heck, hurry up! He's going to be gone by the time we get to the second window!" and sure enough... he was gone. What the heck was I going to do with this whole McDonalds meal and neither of us were even hungry? AND THEN we saw him wheeling himself down the side walk. and I freaked out for a second because I really wanted to run out and tell him to stop and that we bought him some dinner but I was like no. it's dark. and scary. and I don't know this guy. and what if I get eaten. and then I flung myself out the door (Our car is still in line by the way) and ran towards this stranger. There was a big hill of rocks that I climbed  and jumped over a few bushes to get to the side walk.

"Excuse me!" ... No answer... "Excuse meee!!!" ...Still no answer... "EXCUSE ME!!!" Yeah no answer. And I'm like running after this strange guy and he's pretty fast on his wheel chair! and finally I yell, "HEY! WE BOUGHT YOU DINNER!" and he finallllyy turns around and sees me and is wondering why this crazy girl is chasing after him. I told him again that we bought him dinner and I quickly explained that we wanted to give it to him without him knowing it was us but he left and we still wanted to give it to him.. and at this point I'm wondering what in the world am I doing. and then he looked up at me with the kindest eyes and a huge smile and said, "Oh my God, thank you. Thank you!" I immediately felt horrible for being so mad about his music being so flipping loud.

We got him his food and he was SO thankful and SO kind. He told me his name and said he comes to this McDonalds sometimes. I told him that we would probably see him again sometime because we come to steal their Internet and he was like, "Hey I do too!" haha.

Paul and I are laughing so hard while I write this because the whole thing was just so weird and we are so awkward haha. But we are SO happy we chose to do something out of our comfort zone. When I got back in the car after talking with this guy, we couldn't stop laughing and smiling. The whole thing made us SO happy.

"The happiest people are those who lose themselves in the service of others." -Gordan B. Hinckley