Today, I heard a true story on the news about a young woman who was in a bridal store being fitted for her wedding gown.

When she got ready to pay the $500 for the dress she selected, the clerk told her that another woman in the store had already paid for her dress and that she didn’t want the young lady to know this until she had already left.

The bride-to-be was overwhelmed to the point of tears. Indeed, that very morning, she had said a prayer asking for help to pay for all of her wedding expenses.

What an awesome story! It reminded me of the power of old-fashioned “goodness.” Sometimes, when we think of the word, “goodness,” we tend to think it is corny, or outdated, or weak. Yet it’s not. Goodness is actually a well-spring of encouragement and hope, something that reminds us of the very best in ourselves and in others.

Have you ever had a terrible day only to be the recipient of somebody’s goodness? Maybe it was just the convenience store clerk who smiled and asked how your day was going and actually listened for your answer. Perhaps it was a driver who graciously let you in line, even though it meant they would catch the red light themselves.

There’s a lot to be said for simple goodness. One of the fastest ways to turn your day around is to do something for somebody else. You have heard of the famous, “pay it forward” experiences around the world, where a total stranger pays for someone else’s bill.

Last month in line at Sonic, I benefited from the goodness of a total stranger. I was in the drive-through line and when it was time to pay, the worker told me that the lady ahead of me had already taken care of it. It was only a soft drink, but I remember how it completely changed my day. For all the bad rap it sometimes gets for being geeky or outdated, “goodness” sure seemed pretty relevant to me that day. I smiled all day long.

I hope you have the chance this week to experience the goodness of the people around you. If you don’t, be the one who initiates it and you will see your simple kindness can start a tidal wave of wonderful things even amongst a group of total strangers.

That’s just the nature of goodness. When you experience it, you want to give it to someone else!