Blessings often boomerang

The Bible promises that blessings can boomerang. We read in Ecclesiastes, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days," or as one wag translates it, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, and it shall return to you as ham sandwiches." Kayla Lane, 20, knows about ham sandwiches. She's a waitress at the West Side Cafe in Fort Worth, TX. Two of her regular customers are Debbie and Shaun Riddle. Kayla hadn't seen them for a few weeks, and when they returned for lunch, she learned they just lost their nine-week-old daughter Glory to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Kayla depends on her waitress salary to pay her way through the University of Texas at Arlington where she majors in Education, but she decided to cover the couple's tab anyway. When their check arrived, it said, "Your ticket has been paid for. We are terribly sorry for your loss." What inspired her to do this? "I did it because it was amazing to see their strength," she said. "They still prayed before their meal and everything." The Riddles were deeply touched, but that's not all.

                       From left, Shaun and Debbie Riddle and Kayla Lane.       Courtesy photo

After they got home, Debbie realized how hard it must be to attend college and work full-time. She said everyone at the West Side Cafe "is so nice and friendly. They just really care." Then she found a onesie Glory had received from her Grandma. It said, "Kisses, 25 cents. I'm saving for college." Debbie knew she'd never see Glory go to college, but then she remembered Kayla and decided to launch a fund to help all student employees at the Cafe, with Kayla receiving the first scholarship. Debbie launched a GoFundMe page in Glory's memory, and in the first 19 days it received $2,900 from 73 donors, including a $500 donation from Tracey Sanford, owner of West Side Cafe.