Guest blogger and storyteller Scott Newport is here with the story of a gift of grace and paying it forward to honor the memory of Grace Akers, a child with special needs who recently died. You may want to grab a tissue…just in case.

A Gift of Grace: Paying It Forward

“Hey Officer, can I ask you a question?”

The day I asked that question I woke up at 4:30 in the morning and there was a magnificent sliver of a moon just outside my bedroom window. As I stepped onto our front porch, the moon stared at me as she rose above the treetops. I took a second look, hoping she might give me a nod.

It was a clear April morning here in Michigan and it was so reminding me of new life. Chirping wrens were popping like an ensemble of happy flutes. Their tune, floating like bouncing butterflies from the neighbors outstretched willow tree, made it seem like the day would surely be okay.

At ten o’clock my iPhone sent me a reminder. I had almost forgotten I had a conference call at eleven o’clock with a few people around the country who had experience working with children who have genetic conditions. I told my co-workers I had to fly and I hurried home to use the phone alongside my computer.

When I finally connected with the Region 4 Genetics Collaborative conference call, the facilitator Kristen spoke up. “Did someone else just join us?”

I replied, “Hey guys, it’s Scott from Michigan.”

I became part of the collaborative a few years back because my son Evan had a genetic condition called Noonan Syndrome. My boy lived seven happy years. He never spoke a word but his zest for life was unmistakable and his smile was like a song. Participating with this advocacy group helps me give back.

During our conference call, the group was informed that Grace, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Jennifer, one of our members had died. Jennifer works with Family Voices of Indiana and has a gift for helping other families. The first thing on the agenda was a request being passed on by Jennifer and her husband.

“Grace’s parents would love it if you would pay it forward with a Gift of Grace,” we were told. Even though I don’t know the family personally, I know their pain and had to hold back tears for the rest of the meeting.

After the conference call, I drove my white Ford work van to McDonald’s to get a Diet Coke. After I paid my $1.06, I asked the guy at the drive-through window, “How much does the police officer behind me owe?”

“It’s ah…….. $6.47.”

While the cashier stood there with a funny look on his face, I said, “Could you tell the cop I really appreciate his community service?” This was the first time I had ever paid for someone behind me in a drive-through lane. I was obviously an amateur.

As I pulled away from the restaurant I peered through my side door mirror. I was a bit puzzled by how long the cruiser stayed at the pay window—that is, until that evening when I told my daughter about the gift of grace, and what I had done at McDonald’s.

She giggled and said, “Dad, that’s how it’s supposed to work. You see, when you pay it forward at a drive-through, it’s common for that person to then pay for the car behind them.”

“You mean he was using his own money for someone else’s meal? That’s like paying it forward, right Chelsea?” I said.

“Yea Dad, that’s the hope.”

“Wow, I can’t wait to tell Grace’s family their daughters’ life has even made an impact up here in Michigan.

Before I end, I guess I should tell you the question I asked the officer I referred to at the beginning of this story but I won’t. I will tell you that when I walked up to his patrol car behind mine, he immediately reached down to his side. I guess it was for his gun or maybe a taser.

Reflecting back now, that moment reminded me how folks didn’t often know how to react to my son Evan because of his short stature and widely-spaced teeth. When out in the community, strangers would often step back and protect themselves by avoiding our family. They just didn’t know what to say. Having a child with a genetic condition brings many challenges, including isolation. I would guess that maybe Grace’s parents had similar experiences.

I hope now that that cop may have a different view of a stranger just walking up to him in the midst of a drive-through line. I know it may be kind of a stretch but maybe, just maybe, the gift of grace was working then too.

Grace Susan Akers (May 6, 1998 to April 12, 2015)

Passing Along the Gift of Grace

In memory of Grace Susan Akers, I encourage you to pay a gift of grace forward sometime this week.

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