Posted on 01/23/2023 8:29:16 AM PST by Twotone
Hody Childress was a farmer living off his meager retirement savings in the small town of Geraldine, Ala.
About 10 years ago, he walked into Geraldine Drugs and pulled aside owner Brooke Walker to ask if there were families in town who couldn't afford to pay for their medications.
"I told him, 'Yes, unfortunately that happens often,'" recalled Walker, 38. "And he handed me a $100 bill, all folded up."
He told her to use it for anyone who couldn't afford their prescriptions.
"He said, 'Don't tell a soul where the money came from - if they ask, just tell them it's a blessing from the Lord,'" she said.
The following month, Childress returned to hand Walker another folded-up $100 bill. And he repeated this every month for years, until he became too weak late last year from the effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to make the trip.
When Childress died on New Year's Day at age 80, Walker said she decided to let his family know about the donations that had helped several hundred people in the farming community, located about 60 miles from Huntsville.
As the years went on, Childress's $100 bills added up to thousands of dollars, she said, noting that she was usually able to help two people a month who didn't have insurance or whose benefits wouldn't cover their medications.
At the same time that Walker was thinking of calling Hody Childress's family, his daughter, Tania Nix, was preparing to let people know about her father's generosity at his Jan. 5 funeral.
He had confided in her about his pharmacy donations before his death, she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Gonna flood the floor here.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
So that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:4 ESV
thankfully the pharmacy honored his wish to remain anonymous- He certainly did not want any praise for what he did, unlike the pharisees who only donated for the praise they received
Tears - of joy and sadness. Rest in peace, dear soul.
Very noble gesture but the cynic in me asks how did he know the pharmacist didn’t just keep the money?
>> Rest in peace, dear soul.
Amen, and I believe that he is indeed RIP.
Meanwhile what a wonderful example for we the living to imitate! Thanks for posting this uplifting news.
>> how did he know the pharmacist didn’t just keep the money?
He just knew. One of the many perks of living in a small community.
He didn’t know, but making the offer may have helped to keep the pharmacist conscience free.
I like your answer better than mine. You’re right.
I’m not sure who was the best of the two, the farmer for his giving or the pharmacist for keeping a promise. It does not matter though.
I hope there are many acts of goodness still that remain secret.
Its a legitimate question. Where does social trust come from?
In this case, Wikipedia says Geraldine Alabama has a population of 900. So its a small farm town, pharmacist is also the owner of the store. They probably went to high school together, or they are distance cousins, or they are neighbors, or their grandparents were neighbors, or all of the above
I grew up in a town like that. Although I don't return often, when I do, driving around town, I can still recognize former neighbors or people I grew up with. It would be a sin not to stop and chat with them. The last thing you would want to do is screw someone for a few $$ hundred.
I read something the other day that seemed so simple and yet so profound. Watch people in a retail stores parking lot. The people that return their carts are good people. Why? Because by take responsibility for the small things and by that you can pretty much be sure that they do so with the big things
A good, Christian man. I’d say “God Bless him”, but I’m sure he has been well taken care of by the Lord.
Save for Christmas story lessons learned.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.