On the way home from Miami, one more toll booth on the Florida Turnpike, a car cut Marlena off so fast she was sure they’d collide. Horn blaring, face turning from Georgia peach to red prune, she pulled up to pay, and the toll lady smiled and said, “It’s already paid,” pointing to the very car that had nearly hit her. As we head into the season of Thanksgiving and giving, this episode sits with the truth underneath that moment: so much of what we have was paid for before we ever arrived.
In this episode:
- The little girl with the last cookie: why she was never naive, and why a giving heart still needs guarding
- “Kill them with kindness,” and what it means when the person you’re angry with is the one who covers your cost
- The biggest “already paid”: the Father who gave, the Son who paid before we ever sinned, and the Spirit who stays
- A Kirkwood high school girl, a MARTA card, and the strangers who paid her fare across town
- Coming full circle with Impact100 Atlanta, the Big Give, and Raising Expectations
- A downtown church kitchen and the giving we rarely get to see
- Why kindness costs something, and what you might receive inside of it
This week’s one step: Pay it forward somewhere small. Someone’s coffee, someone’s toll, a note to someone having a hard time. And if someone cuts you off, give them a gentle response instead.
This week’s challenge: Write down the names of the people who paid your way, a teacher, a mentor, a church, a stranger, and thank God for them. If you can, thank them too.
Give before the year ends: Impact100 Atlanta’s 2027 membership is open now. Join early, and be in the room for what’s coming.
- Impact100 Atlanta, 2027 Membership: https://impact100atlanta.org/membership.php/#become
- Find an Impact100 chapter near you: https://www.impact100.org
- Raising Expectations (Atlanta): https://raisingexpectations.org/
Stay connected: If this episode spoke to you, share it with a sister who needs it.
Resources
- Purchase the Abiding Grace Planner: https://livingsimplyredeemed.com/product/abiding-grace-planner/
- Subscribe to the LivingSimplyRedeemed Newsletter: https://living-simply-redeemed.ck.page/6803ad07bb
- Official Website: https://www.livingsimplyredeemed.com
Where to Listen & Subscribe
- YouTube Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@marlenajsmith
- Apple & Spotify Podcasts via Transistor FM: https://livingsimplyredeemed.transistor.fm/
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