What's in a free coffee?

During the Christmas series The Grinch Enlarging Your Heart Scott Sliver gave a few coffee gift cards out to selected people in the crowd...he encouraged them to go to caribou coffee and purchase coffee first for their self then the remainder on people who came in after...here is an exciting report...Coffee given with great love can change the world one cup at a time.

Hi Scott!

I have been wanting to talk with you to let you know about the Caribou Coffee 'experience" that I went on with the gift card from a few weeks back. Things have been so busy, and I keep meaning to get you on Sun but it just hasn't worked out. I wanted to make sure you got this to know just how much fun it was!!

I am so thankful that I was the one to go do this. I don't know that I would have done it on my own but the results were incredible!

The day I went I had to pass these 2 women who were arguing about everything from the time they left the car until the time they got in line behind me. Anyway-I went up and ordered my coffee and told the cashier to use the rest on whoever comes along. She took the card and ran it through and then looked at me and asked if I realized how much was left on the card. I told her I did and that it was ok and that I wanted to show God's love in a practical way to others.

So up come the "arguing 2some" who then proceeded to fight over who was paying, and then trying to come up with the money. The cashier then tells them it is payed for and why and points to me as I am waiting for my coffee. Saying that they were both dumbfounded was putting it mildly. The younger one asked why would I want to do something like that. The older one then asked "is this like that pay it forward thing?" too cute. Anyway I tell them why and there is this stunned silence......

So then the 2 ladies and I strike up a conversation and in come 3 construction workers. I loved the look of total confusion on everyone's faces as they tried to pay and were told they didn't need to. I was asked if 1-I won the lottery and 2-was this a class experiment. How sad that everyone thought there had to be some reason. But the resulting look on their faces when I explained it was something.

However so now there is 6 of us talking together and laughing like long lost friends. In comes a lady for a paper which meant that the gentleman behind her didn't have enough to cover his full price for free. So I decided to cover the difference myself only to be beaten by one of the construction workers who covered this last guys difference.

I went there in the morning on my way to see my clients for my job. I wasn't looking forward to my day because I knew I had alot of stuff to do to help my clients with their medicare and benefits and insurance co's etc. But this just put the cap on my day. It was so much fun to see all these people and to watch as everyone started talking like long lost friends. Even the "fighters" called a cease fire!

Sorry to be so long winded with this, but I can't seem to put into words the feelings that I had while doing this and even after! I think this experience in itself really changed my whole holiday season for me. Thanks again Scott for all you do and all you are for all of us.

Diane