After sheltering a family for an hour in his trailer during a rainstorm, a poor man thought he would never see them again.

But the next day, he was startled to find a pile of heavy boxes on his doorstep that led them back to him.

Gilbert sipped his hot tea on a windy evening as a bolt of lightning lit up the dusky sky. He wrapped himself in a blanket and sat on his old trailer’s steps as the first showers of rain tingled his wrinkled skin.

, here comes the rain again…Thank goodness I already stocked enough firewood,” sighed Gilbert, getting up to go inside.

But just as the 65-year-old was about to leave, he was drawn toward three faint figures running through the misty woods, screaming…

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“Hurry up. It’s a rainstorm!” shouted Adam. “We have to get to the car. We can make it in five minutes. Hurry up before we get drenched.”

Sandra’s shrill voice followed. “I told you to skip the picnic this weekend! You never listen to me!”

“Daddy…mommy, hurry up! I’m scared! It’s lightning!” 6-year-old Amy’s frightened voice chimed in.

Gilbert stood startled for a moment. Based on his knowledge, nobody ventured into the woods near his house, especially when a heavy rainstorm had been predicted.

Without further thought, he shouted for them, waving them toward his trailer.

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“Hey, come on in here! You won’t make it, and it’s starting to rain! Come on!” shouted Gilbert as the pitter-patter of the rain took over.

The family noticed a faint figure of a man waving at them under a dim-lit lantern. They ran toward his trailer and panted, sighing relief.

“Hey, thanks!” said Adam, dusting his wet hair. “We were having a picnic near the lake, and we heard the thunder. Then the rain began to pour before we could get to our car.”

“

Ahhhh

, rainstorms are unpredictable. You should’ve watched the news, young man. Please feel at home.”

Gilbert handed the family some towels and a warm blanket for Amy, then he sat them down for a warm drink. He observed them, and they seemingly looked like wealthy city-dwellers.

As the heavy showers drummed Gilbert’s rusty, old trailer, Adam was curious to know why he lived alone near the woods.

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“Do you live alone here? Where is your family?” he asked, looking around the interiors that lacked sophisticated gadgets and furniture.

Gilbert put the kettle atop the blazing firewood and sighed, showing them an old photo, the only treasured memory he had of someone dear to his heart.

“I was not alone10 years ago. I had a beautiful wife. But after she died, I could not cope with her loss,” recalled Gilbert, tears slowly welling up in his eyes. “I sold my house and helped my son John start his business abroad.”

“Sorry to hear that. But why didn’t you join your son? Aren’t you uncomfortable here?” asked Adam, intrigued by Gilbert’s flashback.

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“My trailer might not have the luxuries you may know of, but it is filled with peace that comforts me,” laughed Gilbert, taking a bag of salted steak to roast.

The family looked around the trailer. The only comfort there was the warmth around the fireplace. There was no electricity or refrigerator, and even worse, Gilbert did not even have a phone with him.

The nearest grocery and medical stores were several miles away, and he had to walk to the shop for foodstuff and medicines. Adam’s family was astonished to see a man claiming to be “happy” despite not having any of these amenities.

“How do you contact your son? Don’t you miss him?” asked Sandra, taking her last sip of tea. “How often do you see him?”

Her question seemed to affect Gilbert, who could no longer hold back his tears or hide his sorrow.

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“My son came here last Christmas and begged me to move with him, but I refused! We only meet when he has holidays once or twice a year.” Gilbert tried to hold back his tears as he got busy with the roast.

The storm ended shortly after, and the weather outside had cleared up. Adam thanked Gilbert and promised to visit him soon. The family hurried away, looking back at the kind man waving at them from his dimly lit trailer.

That night, Gilbert had a warm, peaceful meal, not knowing he would wake up to a startling surprise on his doorstep the next day.

“What are these huge boxes doing outside?” he exclaimed in shock the next morning while feeding the birds. “Whose are these?”

Gilbert walked near the cartons and found a little card on top of one of them.

“We hope these things will make your life a little easier! We will see you soon! — Adam & Family.”

Beads of tears started to stream down Gilbert’s face. He unwrapped the boxes and found a compact refrigerator, a generator, a torch, solar lights, a laptop with pocket Wi-Fi, a phone with a new sim card, and a camping stove. And then there was a bicycle to help him get to the market and distant places.

Gilbert could not hold back his emotions and waited to meet the family to thank them.

Adam and his family kept their word and dropped by Gilbert’s trailer that evening.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” cried Gilbert.

“Ah, it’s alright! It’s just a token of appreciation, and you deserve it. You were kind to us yesterday, and you are a man with such a big, compassionate heart,” comforted Adam.

The family set the gadgets up for Gilbert and revamped his trailer into a comfortable home. They also taught him how to use the laptop and the internet so he could virtually see his son every day.

The previous day’s rainstorm managed to break the drought in Gilbert’s life. From that day onward, he was lonely no more. Whenever Adam and his family visited the woods for a picnic, they always met Gilbert and remained friends for a long time.

What can we learn from this story?

Your compassion will return to you tenfold. When Gilbert saw the helpless family in the rainstorm, he offered them shelter in his old trailer. Touched by his kindness, the rich man and his family revamped Gilbert’s abode the next day with modern amenities.
Always be grateful to someone who lent you their helping hand. Despite being poor, Gilbert did not shy away from helping Adam’s family during the storm. Although he did not expect anything in return, they changed his life the next day and befriended him for life out of gratitude.