Single Dad Sobs After Woman Steps In To Pay For His Groceries When His Card Is Declined

May 29, 2023

Sometimes, a simple act of kindness can leave a lasting impression, not just on those who receive but also on those who give.

Such was the case for Sara Fleming, who found herself behind a man and his two children while waiting in line at a grocery store one night. What happened next had such an effect on her that she was prompted to share the incident on Facebook in a post that went viral after it was uploaded in March 2020.

Fleming said after the cashier had rung up the man’s basic items, such as pasta and fruits, he tried to pay using his credit card. However, it kept getting declined.

“He kept swiping his card. Declined. He was already buying the bare minimum. There was a girl and boy with him, and I heard them call him ‘Dad’ several times. The girl was a pre-teen, and the boy was about my son’s age. I could see the embarrassment written all over their faces,” Fleming wrote.

As the cashier began to pull the items off the counter and put them under it, Fleming felt a strong urge to step up.

“I wondered if he was a single dad. The lack of a ring on his finger gave me suspect to believe so. Then suddenly, I felt it. It was like a gentle shove on the back and a mild electric shock to my heart. ‘Pay for these groceries,’” Fleming recalled.

Fleming hesitated a few times as she didn’t want to embarrass the man in front of his children. However, after a few moments, she blurted out, “I’ve got it.” 

The cashier asked Fleming if she was sure, and she replied yes. Then, her heart fell as she saw the father’s reaction. He was overcome with emotion and had tears in his eyes.

“I look at the dad. He’s crying now. His daughter is hugging him,” she said. After embracing his children, he turned to her and whispered, “I don’t know how to thank you.” 

After telling him that she only wanted to help and felt a higher power urging her to do so, he explained that he was, as Fleming had suspected, a single dad. “It’s so hard,” he said, after which Fleming gave him and his children a hug.

Fleming said the encounter moved her so much that when she returned to her car, she broke down in tears. Just a few months later, she would encounter the family in the most surprising setting.

“My family and I are sitting in church, and we had just finished the worship time when our Pastor was getting ready to preach. I look to my left, and my stomach literally plummets to the ground. Then my heart begins to race. At the end of our pew, sat the same Dad and his 2 children,” she wrote.

Seeing them again struck Fleming deeply, and she began to sob. “My skin is covered in goosebumps. I never even told him where I went to church. I just obeyed God. The same One who brought this dad and his family to my church that Sunday. It’s not about me,” she wrote.

Fleming’s story is a testament to how simple acts of kindness can uplift us and those around us in ways that can be deeply affecting and emotionally rewarding.

What are your thoughts on Sara Fleming’s story? If you found her gesture inspiring, be sure to pass this along to friends and family as well.