1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, Welcome to Story Behind podcast. This is the 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: show for people who love hearing a good story and 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: who believe the world could use more positivity. We're the 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: team behind God Updates and God Too, and we hope 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: these weekly short stories will brighten your day. 6 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 2: Minnesota nine year old sets up a free compliment stand 7 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: encouraging her community. Written by Mikhaela Gordoni, read by Jully Provost, 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 2: a nine year old Minnesota girl gives out free compliments 9 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 2: just to make her neighbor's day. The little girl, Melly Benjamin, 10 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 2: doesn't get a thing out of it. Just the joy 11 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 2: of seeing the smiles on others faces is enough for her. 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 2: Just giving compliments to her sister and parents wasn't enough, 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 2: so Millie set up a free compliments sign in her yard. 14 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 2: It was all her idea, but her parents weren't so 15 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: sure at first. I was actually a little worried that 16 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: people were going to think we're nuts, her mom, Holly said. 17 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: But people came, Holly said, calling made sure she is 18 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 2: nearby to assure that Mellie's kindness is being properly received. 19 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 2: But she doesn't need to worry very much. I'm spellboun 20 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 2: by her beauty, Millie tells Alexa Sharp, a teen in 21 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: the passenger sheet of her dad's pickup. Dike made my 22 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 2: whole entire day, Alexa said, smiling seeing people happy makes 23 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 2: me happy. Milly says when Plymouth, Minnesota firefighter Adam Kraig 24 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: Pope introduces himself to Milly, she hardly has to think 25 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 2: before a compliment forms. I'm Adam, he says. Millie quickly responds, well, 26 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: that's a very handsome name. She tells police officer Hayley Brish, 27 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 2: Even though you have all this stuff for robbers, they 28 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: might just be knocked out because of your beauty. When 29 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 2: one woman tries to pay for her services, Milly says, 30 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 2: no one should pay to be happy. One of her 31 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 2: customers said, I had a pretty crappy day to day, 32 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 2: so having her talk to me like that today was 33 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 2: really nice. Another of her customers was brought to tears. 34 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: I drove by and I started crying because the world 35 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 2: needs more joy, he told Milly. Milly even complimented a 36 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 2: lady bug for its beautiful spots. The girl is a 37 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 2: gem to her community and is surely a great blessing 38 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 2: to her family. So then go on comforting and building 39 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: one another up as you I've been doing first at 40 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 2: Selonian's five to eleven. School bus driver split second decision 41 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: saves four year old from Lake Guasso written by Heather Rigomann, 42 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: read by Jilly Provost. A school bus driver split second 43 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 2: decision saves four year old from Lake Guasco. Some stories 44 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 2: begin quietly, just a school bus humming along its final route, 45 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 2: a driver ready to finish her shift and head back home. 46 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 2: But some stories crack open like miracles, wild and courageous 47 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: and utterly unplanned. That's how Thursday unfolded for Mevlcny, school 48 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 2: bus driver in Ramsey County, Minnesota, though calling her just 49 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 2: a bus driver doesn't even come close. It was cold 50 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 2: that day, she said, remembering how the wind bit at 51 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 2: her cheeks. She was easing her yellow bus down Chandler 52 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: and Ouasco Boulevard when she saw him, a tiny boy 53 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 2: printing barely down a hill, tears streaking his face. I 54 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: see this little guy coming running down the street, mebel reckolls. 55 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 2: She didn't know it yet that his aunt had called 56 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 2: nine one one. She didn't know deputies were searching, and 57 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 2: she didn't know this little one was missing. All she 58 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 2: knew was that a child was running toward the lake, 59 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: toward water, glitting dark and cold. When the kid went 60 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: to the fence and touched the gate and had just opened, 61 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 2: she said, hand pressed to her chest. That moment my 62 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: heart skipped. She parked at the bus, secured it and ran. 63 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 2: Everything in her could have frozen. But here's the thing. 64 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 2: Mebel cannot swim, not one stroke. I've never swam in 65 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 2: my entire life, she said. I get goosewums just looking 66 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 2: up the water. I'm so afraid of water. But love 67 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 2: is louder than fear, and God stirs courage like wildfare 68 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 2: through the veins of those who choose compassion. She plunged 69 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 2: into that lake and this woman who feared deep water 70 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 2: more than anything, because love demanded a wild and possible yes. 71 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 2: When he was startling to breathe, she said, I think 72 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: he was pushing himself towards me. So I grabbed his 73 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 2: hand and I was like, thank goodness, I got you. 74 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 2: Two small worlds, spoken like a prayer, I got you. 75 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 2: Deputies arrived. Moments later. Ramsey counted. Sergeant Matt Marson shook 76 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: his head with awe. She was an integral in saving 77 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 2: that child's life. He said, without her intervention, that child 78 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 2: would have probably been dead in the water. She's a hero, 79 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: plain and simple. But Membo, humble, grounded, grave in the 80 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 2: way Heaven recognizes, just shook her head. That is what 81 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 2: everyone should do. 82 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:17,119 Speaker 1: She said. 83 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 2: We need to live in a society whereby we can 84 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 2: care for one another. And isn't that the Gospel made visible? 85 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 2: Isn't that when Jesus meant when he said we are 86 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 2: each other's keepers? That love is not passive. It leaps 87 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 2: fences and wades into water. So we fear just to 88 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 2: say I got you. Membole will receive a life saving award, 89 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 2: but Heaven already shouted over her that day. Because sometimes 90 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 2: a hero doesn't wear a cape. She wears a bus 91 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 2: driver's jacket. Fear in her chest, courage in her bones, 92 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: and love like a rising tide. And this little boy, 93 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 2: he's alive today because a woman who couldn't swim chose 94 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: to jump anyway. Because God still plants bravery and unexpected places. 95 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 2: Because love always runs towards the water birst John three eighteen. 96 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 2: Let us not love with words or speech, but with 97 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 2: actions and in truth. 98 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast. 99 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story. 100 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced 101 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes, 102 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 1: And if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to 103 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: our podcast and please tell a friend about us. 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