The Beth Challenge
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
EPHESIANS 4:32
Beth Plemmons
The first things that come to mind when I think about my mom is her laugh, her wisdom, her gentle hugs and conversations, her unwavering desire to serve the Lord, her selfless attitude and the millions of kind acts she performed in her short 52 years of life.
There are countless stories I could tell you about my mom's kindness.
Most of the time when her and dad went out to eat, dad knew he probably wasn't going to just be paying for their dinner. Most likely, if there was an older man or woman eating alone, or service members in the restaurant my mom would (anonymously) pick up the tab. Or rather, have dad pick up the tab! Ha! Dad was used to this though, and enjoyed sharing in mom's thoughtfulness.
One time, her and I walked into Firehouse Subs for lunch on a day we were out shopping. Just as she was paying for our meal, in walked five service men in uniform. She quietly told the cashier that she would like to pay for the entire group's lunch. Oh... and to add a cookie to each meal too. I'm not sure who was more thankful that day, the service men, or my mom who genuinely expressed her appreciation for their service after one of the workers yeided to the men's adamancy of knowing who the giver was.
Her kindness didn't always involve money.
One of the ministries she so faithfully served in was our county jail ministry. Every Tuesday evening she would walk through several loud slamming doors to get to the women's jail pod where there would be 20-30 girls come out to listen to her teachings and encouragement. She gave her time to helping others and many of those girls, when they were released, came to thank her personally for her dedication.
It wasn't unusual for mom to go out of her way to give a compliment to a stranger, or to help an elderly lady load her groceries into her car. If she saw an opportunity to give, she took it.
Mom had colon cancer that eventually spread to her brain and spinal fluid. She went to be with Jesus on May 24, 2021.
Just hours before she died I had the heartbreaking privilege of telling her I'd see her again real soon. In that moment I not only let her know how grateful I was to be her daughter, but that I would strive every day to be just like her. I told her I would live in a way that made her proud, and that I would raise Isla Kate to know the same love and have the same bond that her and I had together.
I can honestly say, that day was the hardest day of my entire life...
I didn't know grief and joy could exist together though until the creation of Midi Mae. It has given me a way to spread the love of Jesus, honor my mom... Oh! and offer cute outfits along the way too ;)
I hope you'll join me in the challenge to spread more love and kindness
Let's be the "Beth" the world is missing!
Instructions
When you make a purchase at Midi Mae, your package will include The Beth Challenge Explanation Postcard. This card will give you ideas of a random act of kindness gesture you can perform.
Examples include:
-pay for someone's order behind you in a drive-thru
-take a potted plant or bouquet of flowers to your neighbor's doorstep
-tip someone who doesn't normally receive a tip in their particular position i.e. the drive-thru worker
Your package will also include The Beth Challenge Recipient Postcard. This is the card you'll give to the person who is receiving your act of kindness. The card explains what The Beth Challenge is, and it encourages them to come here to fill out the form below and tell us about their experience.
Get creative!
You don't have to choose from the list provided to you. You can pick something all your own. Whatever you decide to do, once you have completed it, fill out the form below as the "giver" and explain what you did and how you gave your card away. Your gesture might be featured (anonymously) in the Midi Mae monthly newsletter as a way of giving others neat ideas for their future acts of kindness!
Example Scenario
Let's say you're in the Starbucks drive thru and you're going to buy the person's coffee behind you. Tell the cashier you'd like to pay for their order and ask the cashier to give them the recipient card.
You drive away, the person behind you is blessed by your kindness, and then hopefully they come here to tell us about their experience in the form below.
Their experience gets featured in the Midi Mae monthly newsletter (that you're hopefully signed up to receive!) and then you get to read about how your small gesture made a big impact!
What to Expect From a Beth Challenge Card
