At 78 years old, George was ready to draft his will. He had done it years ago but kept putting it off. It was time to do so now, but he didn’t think any of his children or grandchildren deserved his considerable fortune. So he came up with a plan.
George dressed in the poorest clothes he could find at home and sat down on the street with a hat in front of him, hoping someone would give him some pennies. He would help out the first person who offered him charity no matter what.
Sadly, this endeavor was fruitless. People on the streets of a small town in Washington passed him by without even a glance. Everyone ignored him, and it was getting late. By then, George had decided to give everything to some random organization and be done for the day.
It was time to give her a miracle.
Before heading home, he dropped by the supermarket intent on buying a cupcake and some milk to remind himself of the simple things in life. There was only a young girl in front of him, and she saw what he had picked out.
“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll get that,” the girl said, signaling for the cashier to ring George’s items.
“What? No, girl. I can pay for that,” George declined, but the girl didn’t want to take no for an answer.
“I insist,” she said and gave him a friendly smile.
“Ok,” George finally conceded and took the items. He followed the girl, who couldn’t be older than 11, and started asking her questions. “What’s your name? And why did you pay for a stranger’s items?”
“My name is Lily, and I did it because my mom always told me to help people out whenever I can,” Lily explained, swinging her bags back and forth.
“That’s a nice philosophy,” he commented.
“Well, she said that God always repays people who are charitable, and we really need a miracle from God right now,” the girl suddenly revealed.
“Why?”
“She’s sick. My mom, I mean. And although my parents didn’t want me to know, I overheard them saying that the treatments are too expensive. They’re talking about selling our house and going to live with Grandma,” Lily continued.
A lightbulb went off in George’s mind. “That’s terrible.”
“So now I go around being extra nice to everybody so God will see that we’re good people,” Lily finished and realized they had walked together towards her house. “This is my street. Bye!”
George watched the little girl run off with her groceries and enter a pretty little house in the area. Then he called his valet to pick him up.
It was time to give her a miracle.
***
“Hello?” Lily’s father answered the door the next day and saw an older man in a suit standing there.
“Hello, young man. My name is George Mason. May I come in?” George aksed the man with a huge smile on his face.
“Hmm, sure. But why? How can I help you?”
“Oh, of course. How silly of me,” George said, laughing. He had been thinking about this moment all night and got too excited. “You’re Lily’s father, correct?”
“Yes. How do you know my daughter?”
“I met her yesterday at the grocery, and she thought I was a beggar. I was dressed poorly yesterday. She was kind enough to pay for my items, and I want to pay her back,” George explained, walking into the man’s home.
“I see. Lily is like that,” the man replied, laughing too.
“Your name, sir?”
“Oh, right. I’m Thomas Richardson,” he said, offering his hand to shake George’s. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, Thomas. Let’s get down to the chase,” George stated. “I want to pay for your wife’s treatment. Lily told me you needed money, and I need someone to give all my wealth to.”
“What?”
“This is not a joke or anything. I’m completely serious. Aside from paying for your wife’s treatment, I want to give my entire estate to Lily, except for a few things that will go to my family. That way, they won’t harass you after they read my will,” the older man continued, shocking Thomas.
“What?” Thomas said breathlessly. He was utterly confused by George’s words.
“It’s exactly as I said,” George clarified. “How much does your wife’s treatment cost? Give me a number.”
“It’s at $520K right now,” Thomas said absentmindedly and panicked when he saw George taking his checkbook out. “No! No! Sir, I can’t accept this.”
“Yes, you can. Your daughter is out there doing good deeds because she’s hoping God will repay her with a miracle. I’m the miracle. Please, accept it,” George insisted and wrote the check.
Thomas reeled in shock just as his wife, Wendy, and Lily arrived. They couldn’t believe what was happening either, and Wendy tried to reject the offer. But George demanded they accept the money and live happily. He handed them the check and told them they would get a call from his lawyer when he passed away.
The Richardsons were able to pay for their bills, and a few years later, Lily received George’s massive estate, much to the shock of the Mason family. But the older man’s will was ironclad, and the girl and her family never had to worry about money again.
What can we learn from this story?
Helping out others can lead to amazing things. You should help people when you can and never expect anything. Beautiful things can happen when you’re a kind person.
Use your money well. Most people waste their money on frivolous things, but George wanted to do something valuable with his wealth, and he saved a family from extreme debt.