Dane and I have been attending a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class at our church for the past 9 weeks, and we have really enjoyed the course. In the last class, we talked about building wealth and giving and we were asked to share a time when an act of giving impacted our life...

While on our honeymoon, Dane and I visited several small shops as we walked the streets of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One rainy day, we stepped into a little store called Mr. Tablecloth. In a cozy little section surrounded by Vera Bradley, was a group of men sitting on couches, chatting as their wives looked at the collection of bags. As I admired all of the beautiful designs, Dane followed and tried to give input on which color I should choose. The men quickly noticed my newlywed husband, and struck up a conversation with him. For several minutes they discussed Gatlinburg and marriage. I selected a bag, we checked out, said goodbye to our new friends, and left. 

It was October and very cold in Gatlinburg. We decided that hot chocolate sounded like a good idea, so we stepped in McDonalds and ordered one to share. Shortly after finding a seat, one of the couples from Mr. Tablecloth walked in. The kind man noticed us and walked over. "I just want to wish you guys a long and happy marriage," he said as he shook Dane's hand. As he walked away, Dane realized he placed a gift in his hand. Our hearts swelled with love for the strangers that had been so kind. We were so thankful for the small gift, and I wish that we could tell them how much that gift meant to us! It was more than a gift of money, it was a gift of love for complete strangers that they had only just met, a gift hope that our marriage would grow and thrive, a gift of influence to be giving and loving to those around us, and a gift of assurance that there are wonderful people in this world. 

Dane and I cannot wait to grow old together and gather wisdom to pass on to a young couple. We cannot wait to bestow such a gift on some deserving honeymooners. My heart hopes that the couple that gifted us would somehow stumble upon this little blog and realize how absolutley grateful we are for the generosity that they shared with us.