This is a true story of a boy named Howard Kelly. To pay for his living and education he was a door-to-door salesman. One day he felt so hungry he decided to ask for something to eat at the next house he was set to visit. However, he lost his nerve to ask for a meal when a beautiful young woman opened the door.
Instead of asking for a meal, he just asked for a glass of water. But the young lady thought he looked hungry. Instead of water, she brought him a large glass of milk. He slowly drank the milk and asked, “How much do I owe you”? The young woman replied, “You don’t owe me anything. My mother taught us to never take payment for kindness”.
He thanked her with all his heart and walked away. However, that little act of kindness made a mark on his heart and made him feel stronger. He was ready to give up in his life before that happened but because someone had shown him kindness in a very unexpected event, he regained his trust in God and in man.
Years later the young woman became seriously ill. The local doctors were baffled with her case and sent her to the hospital in the big city. A specialist was needed to study her rare illness so Dr. Howard Kelly was brought in to consult her case. Dr. Kelly was a renowned Gynecologist who founded the Gynecologic Oncology division at Johns Hopkins University.
When Dr. Kelly heard the name of the town where the patient came from, an inexplicable light filled his eyes. He immediately went to see the patient and recognized her at one glance. Determined to save her, he went back to the consultation room and did his best to save the life of a woman who once made a difference in his life. After a long battle, he finally won.
Dr. Kelly requested the hospital accountants forward the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and without any hesitation wrote something on the bill and had it sent to the woman’s room. The woman dreaded opening the bill for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay it. But when she finally opened it, a handwritten note in the corner of the bill caught her eye.
It read, “Paid in full with one glass of milk”. What specific thought did this story conjure up? How did it impact you? Do you have a story of kindness that you would share? I would love to hear it, comment or share below.