Pay-It-Forward Leader Says She Wanted to 'Pass on the Love of God'
A woman in Temple Terrace, Florida, decided that she wanted to make someone's day a bit better but had no idea that others would follow her example. Cherie Miller set off a chain-of-events that led to 18 others paying the kindness forward for others.
Miller went through the drive-thru at a local Chick-fil-A, where proceeds from the restaurant's service were benefitting her church. She not only wanted to participate and help her church, she wanted to do something surprising for those who would come behind her.
"I had my fingers on the wheel. I felt a sneaky, sly, happy feeling," she told Fox 13. "I wanted to pay for the person behind me."
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Miller did so and left, never expecting what was to come from her simple act of kindness. According to the restaurant, 18 other cars decided to pay for the one behind them in an unprecedented act of goodwill. Making it even better was the fact that all the proceeds went to benefit Miller's church, and in a way, came back to her.
"It was a way for me to pass on the love of God, and to give someone a surprise," Miller said.
She later returned to place another order, and again paid for the car behind her. This time, 20 people did the same, leading to another round of kindness and goodwill that shocked everyone from Miller to the restaurant employees.
"You wouldn't believe the energy in here that night," Sarah Warmouth, who works for Chick-fil-A, said. "Everyone was just so full of energy and uplifted that night. It definitely taught me the power of a single act of kindness. What Cherie did was amazing."
"I just did one thing and the rest of the community took it on from there," Miller said. "It gives me a lot of encouragement. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am surprised, and delighted."
