Twice a year my friend holds a consignment sale for gently used children’s clothes & baby equipment. It’s a great motivation for mamas like myself to get rid of “stuff”, make a little extra cash, and find a home for that precious smocked Thanksgiving outfit that we absolutely had to have (but only wore once!).

This year was the first time I was ready to part with my precious baby clothes & equipment. Ask any mother & they will probably agree that parting with your baby “stuff” is kinda a big deal. Anyway, if I was going to be giving it all away I might as well bring it to the consignment sale.

At noon I went to pick up my “stuff” that did not sell. While l was once hesitant to get rid of it, once it was out of the house, I knew I did not want it back! I told myself if God blesses me with more babies…he will also bless me with more “stuff”

Looking at everything that did not sell overwhelmed me. What was I going to do with all this stuff?

I saw a young couple checking out at the cash register purchasing a baby bouncer. I followed them out to their car and asked if they were interested in taking my baby equipment.

The young girl looked at me and said in a very low voice “Yes mam, but this stuff is not for us. We are buying it for the single mothers at our church…we don’t have kids of our own.”

My heart dropped.

Needless to say they left with car full of baby equipment & clothes.

They were very gracious and I was humbled to witness this young couple who did not appear to have a lot of extra money, use the time & money they did have to support single moms in their community. At one point this young girl even said “I feel guilty for taking all this without paying.”

Seriously! She feels guilty????

But I have one regret.

I never did get her name or number.

I have not been able to stop thinking about this all day. Was it a little fear or because I could tell she was so shy and a little uncomfortable accepting this from a “stranger”. Was it pride or ego (I hope not but every now and then those beautiful attributes creep back in ). Was it thinking “what’s the point…what else can I do for her?” Was it because I knew my baby was ready to go home.

I don’t know. Probably a combination of all the above.

But I do know I have thought all day about the last step I “should” have taken.

How often in any given day do we regret not doing something we “should” have done? Be it a kindness to a stranger, asking for a phone number, making the right food choices (or wrong ones), exercise, saying “I’m sorry.” The list can go on.

I hope this little story will inspire you to take action the next time your heart tugs at you telling you what you “should” do….but your brain “the logical one” tells you every reason you should not. Go ahead…let the heart of another inspire the better in you!

– You Got This