It’s a scene like any other day. A young mom and her little boy are sitting in a restaurant eating breakfast. They’re enjoying each other’s company and having fun together before the day begins.
When it was time to go, the mom asked for the bill. The waiter told her that he would not take her money and was acting strangely. What happened next will shock you.
Here’s Nyesha
Nyesha looked like a regular mom having a morning treat with her son. The mom and son seemed to enjoy each other, with the Mom teasing the little toddler. There didn’t seem to be anything unusual about this scene.
Nyesha had grown up in San Bernardino, California. Later in life, she moved to Houston, Texas, to build a life with her husband. She was enjoying her life and loved being a mom, savoring all of those little moments that make motherhood so magical.
A Special Breakfast
The couple had a little son who they named Nehemiah. At one year old, he was the delight of their lives, and they had such fun watching him grow and learn about the world. He was old enough to take out to a restaurant, so the stop at the local Cracker Barrel had become routine.
It didn’t matter what they ordered, they always had a good time. Sometimes Nyesha preferred to feed Nehemiah oatmeal, but he often pointed at the pancakes and wanted a taste. The food they ordered doesn’t really matter in this story; it was what happened after the meal that will astound you.
A Very Special Person
Nyesha was an unusual woman. Her personal belief system was powerful, even at a young age. Anyone could tell that this girl was going places. So it was no surprise that at the age of 17, she felt called to the ministry.
She was ordained when she was just in her early 20s and established the Charis Outreach Ministries and Nyesha Wingate Ministries. Her goal in life is to share her positivity and make the world a better and more peaceful place.
Powerful Personal Philosophy
This amazing young woman is driven by her inner strength, and she wants to use the tools given to her to help others. She is devoted to doing good in the world and helping people overcome their personal struggles.
Nyesha teaches others how to use the Bible to get inspiration and live a better life. All of her efforts became even more meaningful that morning in the local Cracker Barrel restaurant when something totally unexpected happened. She will never forget that day.
A Tough Life
In 2018, Nyesha wrote a book called The Hedge that describes her difficult life. She wanted to document her struggles in order to help others find the strength to overcome their own. Her book tells the story of the hardships she endured.
During her life, Nyesha has had to deal with the death of a spouse, a father, a mother, and a child. She had not been treated well during her childhood. Imagine someone like that still being optimistic about life. That book has a lot to do with what happened that day in the restaurant.
The Hedge
Nyesha’s book explains that the word hedge means to avoid an oncoming loss by balancing things in the other direction. In other words, she encourages people to live a life filled with little victories.
Nyesha felt strongly that people could improve their lives by seeing small wins in life as a way of overcoming strife and sadness. In her heart, she believed that “hedging” could turn a pessimistic, sad person into someone with a satisfying life. That very concept became real that day at the restaurant.
Someone Was Staring At Her
At the restaurant, Nyesha and her son were finishing their breakfast and getting ready to go. It was a typical day, and she planned to spend it taking care of her son and working for her ministries. Both activities kept her very busy.
While she was packing up to leave the restaurant, Nyesha didn’t notice that someone in the restaurant was staring at her. She was too busy bundling up her son and planning her day to pay much attention. Pretty soon, her ordinary day was going to become extraordinary.
Something’s Not Right
Just after she finished packing up and encouraged her son to eat just a little more, Nyesha was getting ready to pay her bill. She pulled out her wallet and called over the waiter to find out how much she owed.
As the waiter approached her, Nyesha felt that something strange was going on. The waiter had a strange look, and she didn’t know why. Meanwhile, her little son was entertaining her, so she didn’t pay that much attention to the waiter; she just wanted to pay and leave.
What’s Going On?
Nyesha’s waiter had a strange look on his face. She wondered what was going on and could not figure out any reason for his weird behavior. Was there a problem with her bill? Then the waiter did something even more strange.
She saw that he had her check in his hand, so she put her hand out to accept it. Still, he had a look on his face that she could not figure out. Instead of handing the check to her, he did something totally unexpected.
OK, This is Bizarre
Disregarding the waiter’s strange behavior, she waited for him to place the check on her table. She was getting ready to pull out her wallet and hand over her credit card to pay for the meal. Maybe the waiter’s mind was elsewhere, she thought.
Instead, something crazy happened – the waiter showed her the check and proceeded to tear it up into little pieces right in front of her. It seems that the restaurant didn’t want her to pay! She could not imagine what was going on, but she would soon find out.
Someone Else Paid!
The waiter, holding the pieces of the torn check in his hand, informed Nyesha that someone else had paid for her meal. This was unbelievable – Nyesha could not imagine why some stranger would sponsor her breakfast.
Just then, Nyesha noticed a man walking toward her table. She stared at him, thinking that if he was the person who sponsored her breakfast, she must know him. But she truly had no idea who he was; she had never seen him before. The mystery continued.
Who Is This Man?
The man approaching Nyesha’s table was older, with gray hair, a white T-shirt, and light pants. His pants looked filthy. She was a bit concerned for her safety and that of her son, but in a crowded restaurant, she knew she was safe.
After all, this man had paid for her meal, so his intentions were for good. Nyesha was still certain she’d never seen him before, but as he got nearer to the table, she recognized something about him that stood out to her.
A Closer Look
When the man came close to her, Nyesha noticed something which shook her. Aside from his dirty-looking clothing, he had a kind face and obviously a generous heart since he had just paid for her meal.
But what really moved Nyesha was that this man had tears in his eyes. He was obviously very emotional about seeing her, but she could not imagine why. She waited a few moments for the man to get hold of himself and explain what was happening.
What is this Sweet Man’s Story?
Nyesha was so touched by this man and his emotional reaction to seeing her, and could not wait to hear why he had been moved to make such a generous gesture. After hearing the man’s reason, she recorded the entire event on Facebook.
She wrote, “I was blessed this morning…The waiter at Cracker Barrel came [and] ripped up my check and said, ‘This has been paid for!’ Then this amazing gentleman came up to me with tears in his eyes.”
What Was His Message?
Nyesha continued the story on Facebook. The man explained to her that he was upset with the tension in America and wanted to find ways to ease it; he wanted to find something he could do to help the country.
Nyesha assumed the kind man was referring to the many racial incidents occurring across the U.S. These incidents had been on the rise, some followed by violent protests. The situation had rocked the country, and this man wanted the U.S. to start healing.
One Small Step
The stranger, who said his name was Al, was seeking ways to reach out to his neighbors as a way of encouraging racial harmony. He wanted to show his desire for a peaceful and just world.
In his effort to spread and encourage harmony, he decided to begin doing small acts of kindness. In this way, he thought, others might pay it forward, so to speak, and do kindness as well. This sentiment moved Nyesha so much that she also felt like crying.
What A Moment!
Nyesha stood up and gave Al a big hug, thanking him for the gesture and for his thoughts. This man had actually put the idea of “love thy neighbor” into action, and she admired him for the courage to really do something to improve the world.
Nyesha’s Facebook post said it all – she felt blessed by his presence and his sentiments, and in that way he did so much more than just pay for a meal. He made her day incredibly special and lifted her heart.
Pay it Forward
Nyesha hopes that her post on Facebook will inspire others to commit to doing acts of kindness for others. She encouraged her followers to make their own decision to improve the world, spread love, and erase hate.
Let’s hope that this amazing story inspired others to make life changes. Instead of shaking their heads about what is wrong with the world, Nyesha hopes that people will become optimistic by helping and loving their fellow man. We do, too.
