A server at a Tennessee Waffle House had picked up an extra shift to try to get a little extra cash to go on vacation. As if having to work on her day off wasn’t already stressful, she waited on a group of men that knew why she was there, and the tip they left her made her “sick” when she saw it.
Single mom Lauren Ball wanted to give her son the Harry Potter birthday he always wanted. Unfortunately, her planning soon added up to more than $700 in expenses.
Determined to make her son’s birthday special, she started picking up extra shifts as a waitress at a Waffle House in Kingsport, Tennessee.
One night Lauren had an entertaining conversation with a few of her patrons revolving around their mutual love for Harry Potter and her future plans for her son’s birthday party.
After she brought the two young men their bill, Lauren was shocked to see what was written on the tip line. And what she saw made her “sick,” but not in a bad way – the man left her a $600 tip on a $24 bill.
“When I saw that it said $600 I started hysterically crying,” she told TODAY. “That’s like three paychecks. I asked [why] they’d do such a generous thing for a complete stranger and they said they just like to help people. Even the cook came over to make sure they were being serious.”
Still in shock, Lauren, and even the cook, checked with the two young men to be sure this was not a mistake. And when asked why they would do something so generous, their answer renewed my faith in our youth. The two said they just like to help people.
With her bank account restored, Lauren and Colton were able to enjoy the vacation with her father, without having to worry about how she would manage to pay her bills when she got home. The good samaritans even reached out to Lauren while she was away, to make sure she hadn’t had any trouble collecting the $600.
Not all of us have the ability to give such a hefty tip. But you don’t need $600 in order to bless someone else. God can use even the smallest act of kindness to do great things!
Sources: OpposingViews, Kingsport Times-News, WJHL, TODAY