Woman Buys Food for Man Who Stole Her Wallet at a Grocery Store

Years ago, a woman made the headlines after she chose to forgive the man who stole her wallet while she was shopping. Instead, she showed the man more kindness by buying him groceries.

Getting involved in a robbery or finding out that someone stole one's valuable item can be unnerving. Most times, the first reaction is to involve the police, but one woman handled it differently, and the outcome could not have been better.

In October 2013, a mother of four, Jessica Eaves, showed America and the world the difference forgiveness could make in someone's life. She purchased food items for a man who stole her wallet at a grocery store. Here's the whole story.

THE UNFORGETTABLE ENCOUNTER AT THE GROCERY STORE

Eaves was shopping for groceries in Guthrie, Oklahoma, when she noticed her wallet was missing. Immediately, she spotted the man she suspected and approached him. Eaves told Yahoo that she confronted the thief thus:

"I think you have something of mine. I'm gonna give you a choice. You can either give me my wallet, and I'll forgive you right now, and I'll even take you to the front and pay for your groceries."

Eaves' second option was to call the police. As expected, the man agreed to the first option and returned the stolen wallet. He was very embarrassed and burst into tears, apologizing multiple times for his actions.

EAVES CHOOSES FORGIVENESS OVER REVENGE

The man explained that he was broke and a father, hence his desperation. So, Eaves chose forgiveness and kept to her words. She paid for the thief's groceries which comprised bologna, milk, soup, cheese, bread, and crackers worth 27 dollars.

The kind woman confessed that she did not carry cash whenever she went shopping. However, on that fateful day, she had about 28 dollars in her wallet, and she was convinced it was Jesus Christ's way of telling her to pay for the man's groceries.

WHAT PROMPTED EAVES'S GENEROSITY?

At the time of the incident, Eaves was the leader of the Christian outreach team at the First Christian Church. She spent about 12 hours a week volunteering, so showing kindness to a man who stole from her was an easy task. Eaves said a scripture from the Bible prompted her kind act. She declared:

"As I saw him, a scripture came to me from Luke, which basically says, 'If someone should take your cloak, you should give them your shirt as well.'"

In addition, before Eaves's father died, he encouraged her and her brother always to show kindness. So, the woman grew with the desire to help people and be generous.

Although her kind act was commendable, she received criticism for not turning the man in. Eaves said despite the critics, she was convinced that everyone deserves a second chance.

She was happy to show kindness to a man who confessed that he would never forget that night. Hopefully, Eaves's story will inspire many people to choose kindness and generosity over revenge.