does doing a good deed merit receiving an award?

maybe we should do a good deed just because it makes us feel good instead of waiting for a Facebook page to set up donations for us...just because we did good....what a concept!

Here's the story:

A $20 good deed got a young Hopkins, Minn., man a call from the second richest man in America on Thursday, but Warren Buffett is just one of several big names calling to congratulate Joey Prusak.
Prusak was working at the Dairy Queen when a blind customer dropped a $20 bill in the store. Another customer in line picked up the money, but when Prusak asked her to return it, she told him it was hers.
What he did next touched the hearts of many. Prusak opened his own wallet and gave the man a $20, starting a chain of events the 19-year-old manager never anticipated.
A customer who witnessed the ordeal wrote a letter to corporate commending Prusak, and corporate notified the owner of the franchise. The owner put a copy of the letter up in the store to find out which employee did the good deed, another employee took a picture and put it on Facebook. Soon, the story had gone viral.
Now, Prusak's name has been heard across the nation and across the pond in London, England. It's also been heard in some high places. Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, one of the richest men in the world and a major shareholder in Dairy Queen, personally called to say he's a big fan.
"He just said how proud he was of me and he looked forward to meeting me one of these days," Prusak summarized.
That day may come in May of next year, because Buffett invited Prusak, who is currently studying business administration, to attend an investor's conference in Texas.
"I was too star-struck to be asking questions," Prusak admitted. "I didn't even know what to say."
Yet, even with the star-studded attention, Prusak remains humble about his deed.
"I just felt like it was the right thing to do," he said.
Meanwhile, many complete strangers are giving lots of $20 bills back to him -- but he said he won't keep any of it.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with the money," Prusak told FOX 9 News. "I don't feel right keeping it."
For now, Prusak said he plans to donate what he's received to charity -- and contrary to rumors, he did not ask for a raise. The store's owner did give him a cash bonus for going above the call of duty, and he's also gotten calls of commendation from Glenn Beck and the CEO of Dairy Queen.

In other news, a homeless man in Brooklyn, NY found a backpack containg $42,000.00 plus a passport and turned it in to authorities. He was recognized for his actions and a Facebook page has been set up, soliciting donations for his act of good will. At last count, it had grown to over $100,000.00.

Now. When did we start rewarding good behavior? I know, we live in a country where a child loses a tooth and gets a five dollar bill from a "Tooth Fairy," but what message are we sending when we "expect" to have cameras clicking away and our names put up in lights, all because we have done what we should be doing all along?

 

Jesus was not on TV every time he fed the hungry or healed the sick! In fact, he shunned the limelight, preferring to go into the mountains and pray. So why should we be any different? 

 

Here is a question for you: would YOU perform an act of goodwill, realizing that you probably will not be on the six o'clock news? If you found a wallet full of money, would you hold it hostage for the reward money? Why can't we do an act of generosity every day, just because it makes us feel good to know that we made someone else very happy? Two days ago, I got a call from a telemarketer. When I explained that I didn't need what he had, he then said, "thank you and may God bless you!" and hung up. 

 

I was speechless. Wow...that did make my day...it was a ray of sunshine for me. That one simple sentence.

 

Does anyone remember the TV series, "The Lone Ranger?" The last line of every episode, after he had done his good deed and left town was, "who was that masked man? I just wanted to thank him!"

Maybe that's the way we all should be.....a hero...a face and then...POOF! We move on!

May you be blessed!